Dear Grandfriend:

Colman-Egan sixth grader Brooke Wright had never met retiree Sue Lahr until the two sat down at a school celebration of their year of friendship Wednesday.
Lahr of Egan was Brooke’s “grandfriend,” a person in the community who she exchanged letters with throughout the year. Lahr knew the 11-year-old’s favorite color was purple and that she liked to read, lived on a farm and raised rabbits. “Her letters were really informative,” Lahr said.
The two had one thing in common: They both liked getting mail.
“I always was excited when I got a letter in the mailbox from Brooke,” Lahr said.

The pen pal project for the 22 sixth graders has been done at the school for about 15 years, but the anticipation of meeting at the end of the year hasn’t gotten old.
“Oh, good, there’s my grandfriend,” said Jase Mousel, who was relieved to spot his pen pal Linda Meier coming in the door to the gym.
Counselor Kendra Steinberg said the project is good for the students because they learn letter writing skills and get to connect with an older person in the school community.
“Not all of them necessarily get that,” she said of the exercise that culminates with meeting in person. The event also included entertainment by the sixth graders, board games, treats and visiting.
Taylor Kriech had not me his grandfriends Dick and Darlene Heinricy until the get-together at school but enjoyed the experience all year. “It was fun just to introduce ourselves to people we didn’t’ know,” he said.
Savannah Schmidt knew her grandfriend Betty Merges because they attend the same church. On Wednesday, they greeted each other with a hug and said they liked the project.
“It was super fun because I liked receiving letters,” Savannah said.