What do pistachios, mechanical pencils and the Wood Dale VFW Tioga Post 2149 have in common?

For the past few months, the VFW’s Men’s Auxiliary has been putting those items, along with other odds and ends, into care packages for U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq.

“We really like to send them something homey,” said Jim Lambert, Men’s Auxiliary president. “Items they didn’t know they missed. Since it was around Easter last time, we got a bunch of marshmallow Peeps. This time, I want to send a bunch of Pringles. Just something fun that reminds them of home.”

This Saturday, May 17, they are hosting a spaghetti and meatball fundraising dinner at the Post, 510 Georgetown Square, in an effort to offset the cost of this ongoing project.

Dinner will be from 5 to 8 p.m. and will be served with salad and bread. Professional entertainment, music, magic and games will start at 7 p.m. and extend until 10 p.m.
This all-you-can-eat dinner and show is $8 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger.

“Uncle Sam doesn’t give us a break on postage,” said Rich Parse, Men’s Auxiliary junior vice-president.

While they jam-pack the United States Post Office $8 flat rate boxes, that’s still at least $700 — and that’s just postage. Each mailing weighed at least 300 pounds of combined donated goodies and those purchased by the Men’s Auxiliary.

“To send a box that weighs like 9 pounds all the way to Iraq for $8 is pretty good, but you always can’t fit that much,” Lambert said. “Some stuff is bulky; so you can’t stuff it because who wants smashed Pop Tarts?”

He filled out a stack of reduced-postage application forms at FedEx but hasn’t heard back yet.

“Last time I was at the Wood Dale post office, they told me about a new box that’s been especially made for Iraq,” Lambert said. “It’s supposed to have one-third more space and only costs $2 extra. That’s what we want to send next time — we can jam a lot more stuff into those boxes for that price.”

“Especially needed” items on their care package wish list include: travel size hand sanitizer, unscented baby wipes, Pop Tarts, summer sausage, beef jerky, Slim Jims, phone cards and regular and LED mini flashlights.

“The government gives them their square meals, so it’s the little extras that they need,” Parse said. “What we send is a treat — stuff they can’t easily get.”

There’s also tissue, sugar packets, lip balm, Ramen noodles, ice pops, disposable razors, gum, plastic hangers, cereal, bandanas — more than 65 items on the list.

A Boy Scout working on his Eagle Scout project supplied them with, among four filled minivans, batteries “for at least the next five mailings.” The Auxiliary sends everything they can on the list. Pop Tarts and summer sausage are huge hits, but items like the LED mini flashlights and phone cards are a bit pricey.

“Do we send another $8 package filled with 9 pounds of stuff, or do we get one $20 phone card? It’s a tough choice, and we do get the phone cards, but we just can’t do it all the time,” Lambert said.

His dentist regularly gives him toothbrushes and toothpaste, and whenever he’s at Sam’s Club, he’ll pick up a few boxes of baby wipes and always asks Lambert what else the soldiers could use.

For a complete list of items to be sent to Iraq or more information about Saturday’s fundraiser, call (630) 766-0334 or stop by the Post.

“The more people who come to our functions, the more money we make, the more stuff we can buy and send,” Lambert said. “It’s all about them over there, and we want to keep sending them a little bit of home.”

Border Bounding is a weekly column appearing on Thursdays. Ideas and items for the column can be sent to Lifestyle, Press Publications, 800 Roosevelt Road, Suite D107, Glen Ellyn, IL, 60137, or e-mailed to hipychk73@yahoo.com.