thedrifter
11-03-07, 08:03 AM
Supporting The Marines
KOMU-TV, MO -
COLUMBIA - A handful of mid-Missouri businesses are pitching in to make life easier for the US Marine Corps.
Parents like Tracy Della Vecchia are doing more than just supporting their own children. Along side other parents and businesses, they're helping the entire United States Marine Corps in Iraq.
Tracy says helping our troops is something everyone can do.
"Folks really appreciate the fact that we're supporting the troops and not using politics as part of it," said group founder Tracy Della Vecchia.
Even the supporting businesses are doing more than donating time and money.
Shane Phillips, Dayton Freight operations supervisor, said, "Every August has an employee appreciation week, and this year our employee appreciation was 'salute the troops.'"
On Saturday, November 3, mid-Missourians will put together 1,100 care packages. Each package will contain toothpaste, food, and candy. There will also be a new care item inside the packages - a cigar. But why?
The Marine Corps will be celebrating it's 232nd birthday on November 10th.
"Traditionally, the Marines smoke a cigar with one another on their birthday and tell each other 'Happy Birthday.' So that's a really neat thing to do. We'll ship the boxes out on the third and they'll have them, a lot of the guys will have them, before the Tenth. So they'll have a Marine Corps birthday cigar in the boxes when they get them," says Vecchia.
Marine parents are packing the boxes on Saturday and are asking for all the help they can get.
Reported by: Amy Gras
Edited by: Mike Rawlins
Ellie
KOMU-TV, MO -
COLUMBIA - A handful of mid-Missouri businesses are pitching in to make life easier for the US Marine Corps.
Parents like Tracy Della Vecchia are doing more than just supporting their own children. Along side other parents and businesses, they're helping the entire United States Marine Corps in Iraq.
Tracy says helping our troops is something everyone can do.
"Folks really appreciate the fact that we're supporting the troops and not using politics as part of it," said group founder Tracy Della Vecchia.
Even the supporting businesses are doing more than donating time and money.
Shane Phillips, Dayton Freight operations supervisor, said, "Every August has an employee appreciation week, and this year our employee appreciation was 'salute the troops.'"
On Saturday, November 3, mid-Missourians will put together 1,100 care packages. Each package will contain toothpaste, food, and candy. There will also be a new care item inside the packages - a cigar. But why?
The Marine Corps will be celebrating it's 232nd birthday on November 10th.
"Traditionally, the Marines smoke a cigar with one another on their birthday and tell each other 'Happy Birthday.' So that's a really neat thing to do. We'll ship the boxes out on the third and they'll have them, a lot of the guys will have them, before the Tenth. So they'll have a Marine Corps birthday cigar in the boxes when they get them," says Vecchia.
Marine parents are packing the boxes on Saturday and are asking for all the help they can get.
Reported by: Amy Gras
Edited by: Mike Rawlins
Ellie