Cards, Gifts Sent to Newtown Preserved

Hundreds of thousands sent in wake of Sandy Hook shootings

Hundreds of thousands of cards, letters, stuffed animals and children's artwork from around the world flooded into Newtown in the days and weeks after the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The town kept everything. Some of it was preserved in its original form. Other items were documented in photos or turned into recycled material called "sacred soil," which officials hope can be used in the foundation of a new school or to construct a permanent memorial for the 26 victims of the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting.

"Nothing was thrown into a landfill," said Yolie Moreno, a resident who headed the archiving effort. "Every single thing was saved: tags from teddy bears, paper snowflakes, everything."