Christmas gifts for troops
While Christmas is still about four months away, one local group is already making sure those serving our country will have some holiday cheer.
Dozens of people with Operation Santa pulled out their sewing needles and scissors and got to work today.
http://www.hoinews.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=15825
By Nishi Gupta
Posted: Saturday, August 26, 2006 at 6:32 PM
They hope to send 10,000 stockings to troops from Central Illinois that are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Many Operation Santa volunteers are parents of Marines.
They know how important it is for troops to feel remembered during the holidays.
“It's going to be tough for them over there, it's going to be tough being away from home, being away from loved ones. Hopefully this will give them a little bit of knowledge that there are people over here that are thinking about them, that do love them, who are behind them,” said Terry Kallmbah, mother of a Marine.
“I just want our military to know that Central Illinois has not forgotten about them this Christmas,” said Patti Smith, an event organizer.
Organizers got a good head start on the stockings today -- about 600 were made.
They will start to send them out in early November.
Operation Santa will host it's kick-off party on Sunday at the Michael's on Big Hollow in Peoria from 1 pm to 4 pm.
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