Published: May 21, 2008 08:39 am      

Blue Star Mothers, teachers team for the troops

Blue Star Mothers of America and Choctaw-Nicoma Park school teachers teamed up Monday to raise funds to send packages to troops overseas.

Teachers and staff at Choctaw High School, Nicoma Park Junior High, Indian Meridian Elementary, L.W. Westfall Elementary and Nicoma Park Elementary made donations to the Blue Star Mothers in order to wear jeans to school Monday.

“A lot of the teachers also wore patriotic shirts,” said Joanie Rice, second vice president for Blue Star Mothers, South Oklahoma City - Chapter 6 and nurse for the Choctaw-Nicoma Park school district.

The group raised more than $500 from the five schools and Nicoma Park Intermediate, which held its fundraiser May 14.

“It was a fantastic fundraiser,” Rice said. “Choctaw-Nicoma Park is a wonderful group that has really supported our fundraising.”

However, the organization will collect more donations at the end of the week. Choctaw Junior High will hold the fundraiser through Friday.

“Our district supports us wonderfully,” said Dawna Ramirez, Blue Star Mothers member and Nicoma Park Junior High teaching assistant.

Ramirez said the schools also have hosted a beef jerky drive, sock drive, battery drive and a gum drive in the past.

“The kids do a great job,” she said.

The children at the schools also provide letters to the military men and women.

“My son just sent me a whole box of letters and cards he wants me to save for him,” Cindy Hood, president of Blue Star Mothers - Chapter 6, said of her 21-year-old son serving in Iraq.

The Blue Star Mothers add the letters and cards into packages to send to troops serving overseas. Donations from the Choctaw-Nicoma Park schools’ fundraisers will be used during the group’s next shipment or “packout.”

The organization sends packages to about 300 service men and women on the list, with each package costing about $10 to send.

“We’re always getting new names,” Hood said.

Hood said names will remain on the list until the person returns home.

Shipments are made about six times a year, with the next packout being June 14, Hood said.

On the day of the packout, Blue Star Mothers and auxiliary members (non-mother members) will pack boxes and drive the packages to the post office to be shipped.

“We usually start at about 9 in the morning,” said Ramirez. “It’s an all-day process — some people are packing the boxes, some are printing off labels. Everyone’s kind of got their little job.”

Hood said anyone can join the group, not just mothers.

“Anyone can join — friends, relatives, sisters, dads,” Hood said. “They work just as hard as the rest of us.”

Ramirez said she sees duel benefits to being in Blue Star Mothers.

“The group supports the troops, that’s the main thing, but we also support one another,” she said. “We go there and talk with other people who know how we feel. So, I guess it’s a two-fold support group.”

Ramirez, Hood and Rice have each had a child serve overseas, with each one having a son serving in Iraq.

“We send (packages) to Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, Korea, everywhere,” Hood said. “It’s just an outreach. We send them because they are not on a home base. We want them to know there’s people here in America that love them and care for them.”

The organization currently has 41 mother members and 15 non-mother members.

After the June 14 shipment, Blue Star Mothers will send its next packout in August, and Hood said the group always needs items for the boxes.

“We’ll probably empty our warehouse with this one,” Hood said of the June 14 packout.

The Blue Star Mothers said the most requested items tend to be baby wipes for the troops to wipe their faces, socks, gum, sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, batteries (usually AA), snacks like beef jerky, candy that will not melt, drink additives like Crystal Light, Propel and lemonade, travel-size toiletry items and fabric softener sheets.

“They use Bounce sheets to freshen up their bedding and make things smell better,” Rice said.

Hood said travel-size hand sanitizer, facial tissues and other items work best.

“Think small, because they don’t really have very much room,” she said.

Hand-held fans, deodorant, shampoo, razors, paperback books, battery-operated alarm clocks and feminine products for female troops are also requested items.

“We take it all and we’ll use it for what it’s intended,” she said. “The guys and gals truly appreciate it.”

The Blue Star Mothers accept donations from 10 a.m. to noon the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at the group’s warehouse at the north end of Heritage Park Mall.

For more information on joining Blue Star Mothers or to submit a name and address of a friend of family member currently serving overseas, visit www.bsmok6.org.