CARE PACKAGES - Afghanistan and Iraq - MARCH 2008

http://4rnr.net/carepkg1.jpg

It's time to collect some money for some Care Packages to give back to the troops that put their life on the line every day to ensure our safety and freedom.

Let's show them how much we appreciate them and send them just a little bit of home, even though they're a half-a-world away.

This time, one package will be going to Afghanistan to be distributed to a fine group of Marines stationed there and another will go to a group of National Guardsmen currently serving a tour in Iraq. I will be pooling money from here and from http://www.aldeer.com to pay for the packages.

If you can, please donate a few bucks to show them that they are not forgotten. I will be collecting money until March 15th and then I'll go shopping for the necessities like twinkies, beef jerky, snacks, and a few recreational/sports items for them to fill their time with.

You can pay via electronic bank transfer or credit card thru Paypal to my email address: bamachem@yahoo.com - You don't have to be a paypal member to use their services.

Also, you can mail a check to me if you want - PM me for my address.

I will update a running total and list all the names of those who donate so that you can keep track of when I receive your contribution. Individual amounts will not be listed for privacy.

After shopping, I will post pics here of all the goodies before shipping them off. We have done this a few other times, and they have all been a huge success.

FYI: For a 20-gallon plastic rubbermaid tote like the one in the pic above (they reuse them for storage bins to keep the sand/dust out of their stuff after the food is gone) full of stuff, it usually takes about $90-100 and then another $20-30 or so to ship them = $120 per tote.

Thanks!!!


http://sportsmenfortots.org/CarePkgs/cp1.jpg

Marlon Gullion
wesley bertoldi
Brian Woodard
Chris Stover
Shannon Parker
Andy Pipkin

total: $325!!!

(I'll cover the paypal fees!)


I'll go ahead and get two together and send them out next week and save the leftover funds for the next couple weeks to see if we get enough for two more and then send them out after March 15th.

OK, I got a check in the mail for $25, so now the total is $350!!!


I went shopping for the first pair of bins tonight. I'll get these two out tomorrow, one to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. They're essentially the same stuff in each.

I spent $218 at the store, and then I should be able to ship them for about $70 or so, leaving enough (~$60 or so)for another slightly smaller package.

THANKS TO EVERYONE!

Pics:

http://sportsmenfortots.org/CarePkgs...8/carepkg1.jpg

http://sportsmenfortots.org/CarePkgs...8/carepkg2.jpg

http://sportsmenfortots.org/CarePkgs...8/carepkg3.jpg

http://sportsmenfortots.org/CarePkgs...8/carepkg5.jpg

http://sportsmenfortots.org/CarePkgs...8/carepkg6.jpg

:thumbup: Andy, thanks for doing this. All that stuff looks like the snack bag my dad brought on this last mojave trip, hehe.

Andy, how did it go? Have you heard back from any of the troops these went to? Thanks again for doing this. :thumbup:

sorry, i forgot to update the post here!

http://www.aldeer.com/al_ubb/NonCGI/...=002783#000000

the unit that i was going to send that last tote to (B Co, 101st CAB in afghanistan) requested that it instead went to a blackhawk unit who had saved their butts on more than one occasion.

anyway, i got some more donations, so i sent even more out.

in march, one went to iraq and one to afghanistan.

in may, one went to iraq, one to the blackhawk unit in afghanistan, and another small one to Co B, 101st CAB in afghanistan who was in need of some exercise stuff for their "prison gym" that they've put together...

http://www.aldeer.com/al_ubb/NonCGI/...=003327#000000

i got a good response back from most all of the recipients so far. here's one:

http://www.aldeer.com/al_ubb/NonCGI/...=003442#000002

here's another:

http://www.aldeer.com/al_ubb/NonCGI/...=002758#000005

and another (scroll down):

http://www.aldeer.com/al_ubb/NonCGI/...=002083#000000

Thanks Andy. :thumbup:

As a recipient of one of these generous care packages, it is a huge morale booster to the unit that does receive them and thank you all for donating.

Thanks for your Service!