SADR CITY, Iraq - Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers distributed a variety of new school supplies to students and faculty at the Al Aqbas Elementary School in the Sadr City district of eastern Baghdad, Feb. 9.

Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, handed out notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, paper and other supplies to the more than 200 students.

The Soldiers collected the school supplies with support from Girl Scout Troops 2522 and 2621 of Larchmont N.Y. that held a bake sale to raise money in order to buy the supplies and send them to Iraq.

Girl Scout Anna Brause wrote in a letter to the Soldiers of 1st Bn., 6th Inf. Regt., describing how she and her friends had heard about how the Soldiers were helping the children of Iraq and they wanted to pitch in.

So far, Soldiers have collected more than 20 boxes of donations since November 2008.

"The donation of school supplies will improve the relations between Sadr City residents and Coalition Forces," said Capt. Nicholas Cantrell, a native of Topeka, Kan, a fire support officer with the regiment. "Events like this increase the goodwill of the population toward us."

"It was nice to see every child excited," added 1st Lt. Bradford Dooley, a native of Frankfort, Ky. "You could really tell these supplies made a difference in their daily lives."