MITROVICA, Kosovo –The Kosovo Police and Soldiers from KFOR Multinational Battlegroup-East partnered together this past Valentine’s Day to donate toys to the children of Kosovo.
It was all part of the ‘Toys of Aloha’ event, the first toy donation event representing the partnership between the Kosovo Police and KFOR Soldiers from the Hawaii Army National Guard.
The event took place at the Resource Center for Teaching and Counseling "Mother Theresa" in Mitrovica, Kosovo. Police officers, Kosovo officials, and KFOR Soldiers handed out toys to special needs students at the center to spread love and happiness to the children.
“We are always honored to be in partnership and I’m so glad we could work on this project together,” said Kosovo Police Director Lt. Col. Aferdita Mikullovci. “Valentine’s Day is really to share the love. It’s not only to your partner but to everybody. It’s a special day and a special moment to these kids.”
The event was planned by the Kosovo Police with support from the MNBG-East Soldiers. The Soldiers helped collect more than 500 toys to donate and will work with the Kosovo Police to deliver the toys to children across Kosovo. A portion of the toys were donated from the Spirit of America. DISCLAIMER: The U.S. Army and MNBG-East does not endorse Spirit of America. No part of this information announcement is intended to imply an endorsement of any kind.
“I’m very pleased with the event and how the Kosovo Police took charge of it,” said MNBG-East Effects Chief Lt. Col. Michael Caraang. “They pretty much ran the whole show. It just really touches my heart. It’s more than just handing out toys, it’s spreading the Aloha spirit within Kosovo.”
The name ‘Toys of Aloha’ came about with the Soldiers being from Hawaii. The word aloha is the Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace and compassion. Being from Hawaii, the Soldiers wanted to spread the aloha throughout their deployment to Kosovo.
“When I see their smiles and their laughter with the toys in hand, it just makes me really happy that we did this,” said Caraang. “The cooperation with the institutions within Kosovo, with the Mother Theresa Center, and then our Kosovo Police partners is definitely what we want to portray and we saw that today.”
“I really felt that Aloha spirit today,” said Mikullovci. “They really brought the good and positive spirit to these people, my city, my staff, and myself as well so I’m really grateful. If we can make someone smile, at least one person in a day, I think we are achieving our mission.”
The ‘Toys of Aloha’ events will continue throughout the KFOR25 rotation.