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thedrifter
04-11-07, 01:29 PM
Lots of 'stuff' on its way to Iraq
By Press And Journal Editor : 4/11/2007

Most of the guys over in Iraq aren’t fortunate enough to have an entire community supporting them, according to Rachel Brown, whose effort to send care packages to four hometown Marines serving in Iraq will spill over on others serving alongside them.

Brown, the wife of Lee Brown, spent Saturday packing up 25 boxes of, well, stuff: toothpaste, brushes, eye drops, lotion, Q-tips, soap, foot powder, socks, peanuts, gum, chips, pretzels, about 20 pounds of beef jerky, countless bags of gummy snacks, candy bars, magazines, protein bars, Rice Krispie treats, and Girl Scout cookies.

It all shipped out Tuesday morning.

“We had a little of everything that we were asking for,” she said.

Her request for help from the community was met with items dropped off at Kuppy’s Diner, and with money donated for supplies and shipping costs.

Brown and friends collected the “stuff” along with almost $3,500 after placing posters at Kuppy’s Diner and getting word around town in the Press And Journal.

“With the extra money we were able to buy tactical sunglasses, tactical gloves, sneakers, and energy/protein drinks, which was the biggest request from the boys,” she explained. “It is so nice to know that the community is supporting our guys even though many of them don’t support the war,” she added.

The goods are on their way to her husband and three of his friends; Lee Brown is serving in Iraq with Mark Williams, Jonathan Acker and John A. Lindsey. The four signed up while they were students at Middletown Area High School and entered the U.S. Marines after graduation in 2004 – except for Lindsey, who graduated in 2005 and joined them.

The amount of cash gathered does not truly reflect all the help given by good neighbors in support of the Marines. People and businesses donated what they had, or could. The Storage Depot gave boxes and the Middletown post office planned special assistance for shipping day. Sharp Cuts salon put up a sign and donation box inside, and will keep it there.

Horace (J.R.) Harden did promo work, going personally to community service organizations and businesses to ask for donations.

“He spent a lot of time on it because I felt weird asking people for money,” Brown explained.

Anglers and Hunters of Londonderry Township offered to reimburse Brown for the cost of shipping, while S & T Insulation donated cash for supplies or shipping, as needed. The Middletown American Legion Post 594 gave $594. Middletown Moose Lodge 410 gave $500, the Middletown Women’s Club, $400, the Elizabethtown American Legion Post 329 gave $200, Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed gave $200, and the Pennsylvania State Police in Harrisburg donated $150, “plus some goodies,” according the Brown.

Many individuals gave generous cash donations, too.

The family of each Marine received $600 to spend on their Marine, preparing a package.

“The rest of the money is being used for shipping and future packages. We are going to keep collecting things throughout the year since they will be there until next year,” said Brown.

She said even after the 25 boxes were packed to the brim, there was more “stuff” at some of the families’ homes that wasn’t ready to be boxed yet.

“And the boxes are stuffed!” she said. Each weighed around 10 or 15 pounds, she estimated.

The rest of the goods will be shipped periodically throughout the young men’s deployments.

“It’s so nice to able to send the troops so much stuff. It would be physically impossible for each guy to keep everything, so they are obviously going to get to share a lot of stuff with their fellow Marines, which is great.”

She was especially thankful to all the Kuppy’s customers who generously donated at the diner.

“I honestly was overwhelmed with the outcome,” she said.

Ellie