Local festival queen working to thank U.S. troops overseas

Morgan Landry of New Iberia is hard at work to help America’s service men and women.

Military roots are deep for the first-grader at Magnolia Elementary School, whose father spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy.

Landry, 7, is working with the Cincinnati-based Thank You Foundation to assemble approximately 500 cards for service members overseas.

More than 100 festival queens from around the state, including Morgan, who is  Little Miss Opelousas Spice and Music, will sign at least a few cards each, and the cards will be included with copies of a video message that will be made at Operation Rhinestone.

“Morgan was Little Miss Opelousas Spice and Music 2007, and she wanted to do something for the troops,” said her mother, Miranda Landry. “We wanted to find a way to help her do this. We’d like to get her school involved as well.”

Morgan has told her mother she is excited about taking part in the project. In addition to the care packages sent overseas, some videos will be distributed to inactive service members and to veterans.

“Our soldiers have given so much for total strangers and as we all know, here in Louisiana, we find just about anything to celebrate with our festivals and our soldiers are missing out,” Landry said. “This is Morgan’s way of sending our festivals to our soldiers.”

John Guinn, founder and president of the Thank You Foundation, is an Army veteran.

“Morgan is an impressive little girl, showing dedication to our men and women in uniform,” Guinn said. “She understands their sacrifice, and if more Americans did what she does that would be wonderful.”

Little Miss Opelousas Festival Director Robin Abshire has known Morgan’s family for many years, and is proud of Morgan’s work with Operation Rhinestone.

“Any project that helps our service men and women is very dear to anyone’s heart,” Abshire said. “But the fact that it came from a seven year old makes it all the more special.”