Sarah Shelander
Editor

Over 500 soldiers are overseas, they deployed in February and will be overseas until December. “Over half the soldiers are under 25 years old and first time deployed,” said Connie Risty, who is gathering items to send care packages to them.

You may have seen military care package donation boxes at a few businesses in St. James. Risty put them out around Watonwan, Martin, and Cottonwood Counties to help get items to send over to the soldiers, her goal is to send 500 care packages.

“I want to make the 500 care packages happen for the 500 soldiers over there who are serving. It is a small price to pay for the time and efforts of these young men and women are committed to,” said Risty. “I know I can’t do this on my own, so I am reaching out to people and groups to join this project.”

Suggested items soldiers would enjoy receiving are nuts, beef jerky, small snacks like trail mix, energy bars, and cookies, chewing gum, hard candy, non-melting candies, pen, paper, sharpies, playing cards, games, puzzles, crosswords, flavored water packets, paperback books, cotton balls, q-tips, lotion, and chapstick.

“An important part of the care packages were letters from people who appreciate that they are over there,” said Risty. One of the first things Risty did to fulfill that part of the care package was contacting elementary schools to ask for letters. Schools she contacted both elementary schools in St. James, Butterfield-Odin, Hill Beaver Creek, and Mountain Lake.

Donation boxes will be out until May 31. In St. James, donations and letters can be brought to St. James Public Library, True Value Hardware, American Legion, VFW, Eagles, and Dollar General. Risty has also opened an account at Pioneer Bank for monetary donations, the account is “Care Packs for Soldiers”. Packing the care packages will happen as donations come in and mailing will happen the first week of June. Risty said the soldiers will be getting their care packages at about the midway point of their deployment.