Holiday Cheer for Soldiers Gift Drive Begins

 A box of Moon Pies can make a soldier’s day. 

With that thought in mind, the University of West Georgia campus community has begun a Holiday Cheer for Soldiers gift drive to benefit military personnel serving overseas.

Using the U.S. Postal Service's Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes at a discounted price, packages can be mailed to military personnel for as little as $4.95. 

             “If it fits, it ships” is the motto that reminds senders that weight does not affect the price. All U.S. post offices, including the Campus Mail provider at UWG, provide boxes free of charge.

The boxes range from a single VHS video mailer for $4.95, two medium boxes for $10.35 and a special military mail price of $11.95 for the largest box.

To guarantee delivery in time for the holidays, packages should be shipped by Dec. 11. The priority mailings can also be sent overseas throughout the year to men and women in the armed forces.

Contents can include inexpensive toiletries, non-perishable food items, batteries, books, disposable cameras and clothing. Anyone interested in sending a gift package can go to the Operation Military Pride Web site at www.operationmilitarypride.org  for a more detailed list of items that can be sent.

UWG faculty and staff have provided names and addresses of people serving overseas:

 Dr. Thomas Peterson, professor of Educational Foundation, has a son serving overseas:

2nd LT Nolan Peterson, 130th Engineer Brigade, Cos Marez, APO AE 09334

Paulette Ward, coordinator of Office Services for Learning Support and Testing, has a son-in-law who is a UWG alumnus serving as a chaplain for 3,000 soldiers in Kuwait:

CH (Captain) Derek Smith, 151 CBRN, BSB-N, APO, AE 09330

             Denise Kotajarvi, office of the Controller, has a nephew who is serving in Afghanistan:

2nd Lt Douglas S. Toulotte, 4th LAR BN, B CO, Unit 40650, FPO AP 96427-0650

             Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics David Boldt has a son serving in Germany:

CPT Philip Boldt, CMR 416 Box 1005, APO AE 09140

Music Professor Dawn McCord’s former student is serving in Afghanistan:

SSG Guy Serapion, RTC (Headquarters RPAC), APO AE 09354

Professor Diane Wise, School of Nursing, shared two names of young soldiers (Joshua has not received a package since deployment). Both have the same mailing address:

LCPL Jeffrey McDougall

and

LCPL Joshua Smith

 3/24 Weapons Company Map 1,  UNIT 43545, FPO/AP 96426-3545

Regina Mailloux, Office of the Registrar, said her niece is a supervising nurse in an immunization clinic on a base in Iraq. She would like holiday lollipops and band-aids to give out during the holidays. 

SGT Melissa DiMaggio, 248th ASMC, Phipps TMC, APO AE 09391

            For more information on Holiday Cheer, call 770-328-4768 or 678-839-6643.