District 34 President, Chet Ellis (left), District 34 ADBR, David Brandenburg,
and District 34 BR Joe Chaszar (far right) pack items to be shipped to support the troops.
Leaders of District 34 in Columbus, OH, wondered if the worst recession in years would take a toll on the 2nd Annual Holiday Care Package Drive, an effort to collect donations for U.S. military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They need not have worried.
After the request for donations went out to local lodges in District 34, IAM members stepped and up and exceeded last year’s outpouring of generosity, collecting more than 3,000 pounds of goods and gifts, all of which was boxed up and shipped overseas.
“I was concerned that our donations would suffer this year because of the economy,” said ADBR David Brandenburg. “We actually collected more than last year, including items for troops to give Iraqi children.”
This year’s effort was special for Donald Harris, a District 34 member with a son who recently deployed to Iraq with the 1001st Reserve Unit based in Chillicothe, OH. The 1001st is among the units that will receive boxes filled with food items including potato chips, cookies, canned fruit, cereals and other goodies from home. Other donated items include shaving gel, toothbrushes, laundry detergent and telephone calling cards, so that the troops can phone loved ones at home. Harris has two other children serving overseas as well.
<<District 34 Staff
See more photo's here.
"Remembering the men and women serving in our military forces during the holidays embodies the IAM motto: Service to the Community,” said Eastern Territory GVP Lynn D. Tucker, Jr. “Thanks go out to the representatives and members of District 34 for their support of the troops serving our country.”
"I am very proud of our members who participated and gave of their time and donations for this very worthy cause,” said DBR Mike Hall. "The entire District 34 Staff pitched in to put the finishing touches on this tremendous effort."
