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Students gather items for soldiers
The group is trying to raise money to send the items overseas.
HUBBARD — A local group of high school and college students is hoping boxes of books, cards and hand-held games are the keys to helping U.S. soldiers cope away from home.
The basement area of Alisha Goldner’s Hubbard Township home resembles a section of any gaming store, with shelves and racks holding board games and electronic media still neatly wrapped in its original packaging.
Between classes at Youngstown State University and studying, Goldner uses her computer to catalog and track every item stored in the basement area. She knows each item “right down to the last battery.”
Zack Lord, Goldner’s boyfriend, said the items will serve a much greater purpose than being sold for profit on any store shelf. The games are part of “Project Serving Soldiers” and will soon be sent to men and women serving in the military over seas.
According to Lord, Project Serving Soldiers was born in 2008 during a conversation with his older brother Luke Lord, 26, who is serving in the Navy overseas. Lord said it was during that conversation that he realized how emotionally difficult the holidays could be for soldiers away from home.
Lord said it was about the same time that he realized the toy store at which he had been employed would be closing. With the permission of the store manager, he began collecting donations of games and electronic devices from customers with plans for sending those items to soldiers overseas.
“I just started thinking about what I could do to brighten their day or just help them out,” he said. “That first day we got about 50 items, and I was really impressed with that.”
Since the first day of collections in the now-closed toy store, the group has collected about 1,200 items through drive efforts and monetary donations.
Lord said the issue now is getting the items shipped over to the soldiers who can use them. He plans to send those games now stored in his girlfriend’s basement to his brother in Afghanistan, a friend in Iraq and a cousin in Iraq for distribution, but has to raise the funds for shipping.
Lord did ship about 250 items in two separate boxes at a cost of about $50 per box, but to send the rest he said more money will be needed. So, the group has organized a musical fund raiser.
“Operation Band Night” will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Stambaugh Auditorium. In addition to musical entertainment, those attending the fundraiser will have the opportunity to participate in a Chinese auction and 50/50 raffle. The cost to attend is $5.
The group is still accepting any board games, books, DVDs, and hand-held game systems, but Lord said it is time to get the items into the hands of soldiers.
“We want to affect as many military people as possible. I had a guy come into the toy store who was in Vietnam, and he said everything he went through during the day just killed him. He said that what we are doing will help take their minds off of all that,” said Lord. “Just as long as we get their minds off what they saw during the day, I am happy.”
jgoodwin@vindy.com