FLORENCE — Hundreds of shopping bags hanging above Florence Mall's Food Court hold not merchandise, but poignant sympathies from Tristate students for New York children who lost friends and family in the World Trade Center attacks.

        The project — known as “Spreading Around the Nation” — gave children from 12 elementary schools in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana small paper handbags to decorate. They also could fill the bags with symbols of love, compassion and healing.

        Some bags contain poems and photographs.

        They will be on display through Christmas and then sent to the children of those killed on Sept. 11. About 1,800 bags were received by Florence Mall.

        Today, Florence Mall will give all area children an opportunity to send their best wishes to those in New York with Kids Appreciation Day. In addition to games and puppet shows, there will be bags for kids to decorate. The event runs from 11 a.m to 6 p.m.

        Children decorated the bags in crayon with flags, hearts, crosses and eagles.

        One bag offered support to those in New York with red crayon inscription of, “Have a good life, and don't be afraid. We are thinking of you.”

        Another bag is designed to cheer New Yorkers up with a whimsical drawing of a heart with little teddy bears and a American flag.

        “Giving children an outlet to express their emotions is very important,” said Elena Miller, the events coordinator and director of Marketing at Florence. “We wanted to get local children involved to share their feelings and compassion through art. It has really been embraced by the community.”

        Forums like this help children cope with the tragedies, said Jennifer Metcalfe, director of Zion Christian Academy in Fort Thomas, one of the schools that participated.

        “The attacks did very much impact their lives,” she said. “It was an opportunity to show them how to react to these situations.”

        She said the children at the Zion Christian Academy took a proactive response to the attacks and on their on volition made American flags and sold them for 50 cents, donating the money to the Red Cross. They raised a total of $55.

        Zion Christian Academy fourth-grade student Matthew Fultz, 9, said he wants to tell the children in New

        York that everything will be all right. “I wanted to make sure they knew God is with them and not to be scared,” he said.

        Covington's St. Augustine was another school that participated. Student Shelly Cotten, 11, said she hoped to show unity with those in New York by drawing a picture of earth with many different types of people, including some in wheelchairs, holding hands on her paper bag. “God is watching over them,” Shelly said.

        The best part of the project was helping someone else feel better, said nine-year-old St. Augustine student Sami Hughes. “I hope that it would put a smile on someone's face.”

        “Spreading Around the Nation” is the second event sponsored by Florence Mall's Little Helping Hands program.

        In July, it organized a project featuring 420 tiles with children's handprints that raised $1,700 for Northern Kentucky Education.

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