Salina ? The certificates from the Department of the Army say Elizabeth Motter and her sister Sarah “contributed significantly to the U.S. Army’s mission to help the Iraqis achieve security and lasting peace.”

Not bad recognition for a fifth-grader and a sixth-grader in Salina.

Thursday morning, the sisters, along with all of Schilling Elementary School, were recognized by the Army for a service project that resulted in more than 1,000 pairs of shoes being sent to Iraq for distribution to Iraqi children.

“I’m here on behalf of the Army, and myself, to say, ‘Thank you,’ ” Lt. Col. Kevin West told the students and staff assembled in the gym.

“What you did is sacrifice your candy bars and your Cokes. It’s healthier, and your money went to help kids in a part of the world where they don’t have a lot.”

Between money donated by students and community contributions, more than $11,000 was raised and 1,050 pairs of shoes sent last year to Sarah and Elizabeth Motter’s father, 1st Sgt. Brian Motter, who was stationed along the Syrian border, training the Iraqi border patrol.

“They had never heard of Salina,” West said. “You changed their lives by giving them shoes to walk around in.”

When the shoes were distributed, Motter said, the boys and girls treated them differently.

“Boys will be boys and went off to start playing soccer,” Motter said. “The girls would walk about 50 feet and then take them off to go home.”

It turned out, school was starting in about a week, and the girls were saving their shoes so they’d be nice for that first day.

Motter said it didn’t take long to hand out the shoes.

“We did it in three days, going into two towns a day,” he said. “We actually ran out of shoes, the need was that great.”

West said that during his two tours of duty in Iraq, he’s found that writing home about conditions there “really tugs at people’s heartstrings,” resulting in such projects.

“Americans are a generous people,” he said. “But I haven’t seen anything of this magnitude.”

Projects such as the shoe drive, he said, “make a difference in our little neighborhood, in whatever country we’re in — and it humanizes us.”

“It was more fun than work,” Elizabeth said after the ceremony.

“They did all the work,” Brian Motter said, referring to the students and staff at Schilling. “I got the fun part.”