Beck PRIDE Center plans Support Our Troops donation drive as part of Veterans Day Celebration Week
JONESBORO, AR – Participants of the Beck PRIDE Center for America’s Wounded veterans at Arkansas State invite students, faculty and staff as well as community members to be a part of the “Support Our Troops” donation drive, Saturday, Nov. 10, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the main location of Liberty Bank, 2901 East Highland Drive.
The donations will be packaged and shipped to the 95 soldiers of the 1039th Engineer Battalion who were deployed to Afghanistan in September.
“All of us at the Beck PRIDE Center want to put together some packages for these soldiers who will most likely not be able to come home to be with their families and enjoy the holidays this year,” said Kelly McCoy, Services Specialist for the Beck PRIDE Center. “We sponsored a similar donation drive for the 875th battalion in 2008 and that event was well received by the northeast Arkansas community. We believe we will have a similar response this time.”
Sandra Worlow, director of the Beck PRIDE Center, obtained a list of supplied needed by the soldiers including: shaving cream and razors, snacks of all kinds, Slim Jims jerky, coffee, creamer, 16-ounch cups, movies, soap, body wash, shampoo, towels, wash cloths, black ink pens and writing pads, music CDs, hard candy, lip balm and mailing envelopes.
Worlow said the soldiers would be appreciative of any items donors wish to provide.
“The ASU Beck PRIDE Center and other community supporters in the northeast Arkansas community are truly dedicated to showing support to the men and women in our country’s services through these donation drives,” said Worlow. “These packages will be shipped to Afghanistan to show our appreciation for the sacrifice these soldiers make. We hope everyone will get involved.”
The donation drive is part of a week of scheduled events for Veterans Day Nov. 10. There will be a Veterans Appreciation Lunch, Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Jonesboro Elks Lodge, 2113 West Washington Avenue. All veterans eat free of charge and non-veterans may pay $5 for a meal. All proceeds go to the Elks Veteran Program. Westside ROTC Color Guard will post colors.
A Veterans Day Luncheon will be held Friday, Nov. 9, from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Nettleton High School Fitness Center. From 9-11 a.m., a Veterans Day Parade will roll down Main Street in front of the Craighead County Court House in Jonesboro on Saturday, Nov. 10, and that evening, the St. Bernards Auditorium is the site of a Veterans Day Ball from 6-10 p.m.
The Beck PRIDE Center provides wounded combat veterans with educational programs and services at Arkansas State including counseling, personal rehabilitation, access to the higher education experience and financial assistance to help the veterans achieve post-military service goals.
For additional information about Veterans Day Celebration Week, contact Worlow or McCoy at (870) 972-2624.
