On Dec. 5, Santa Claus came early when Vernon Lynch delivered a truckload and car-full of items to Operation Sandbox Georgia headquarters for packing and mailing to troops for the holidays.
In addition to the items collected in Fayette County, Lynch, a cook at Mimi’s restaurant in Peachtree City, handed over $1,060 that was donated to help with packaging and shipping costs.
Operation Sandbox was founded by Virginia Pearson and her daughter, Julie, in 2004. The program is a 501C(3) non-profit organization that collects non-perishable items including food, hygiene items, drinks and snacks. The first year they sponsored 32 extra-large Christmas stockings totaling 420 pounds of items to a Marine unit in Iraq, where Julie’s fiancé was serving his second tour.
What started as a one-time effort quickly expanded into a massive undertaking that collects and ships thousands of pounds of needed items to tens of thousands of troops of all services in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It has been amazing to see the outpouring of love indicated by donations of money, time and items needed by our troops,” say the organizers on their website.
“We send care packages to let our troops know they are deeply appreciated for the sacrifices they are making by serving our country,” say the Pearsons. “We not only support Georgia’s troops but all of our military.”
Their efforts do not go unnoticed. They get feedback from the troops. In one letter from a Marine corporal, he thanked them and wrote, “Something as small as a disposable razor is greatly appreciated here. I keep the letters you write us as a memory that there are good, caring people back home thinking about us.”
In another letter, an army sergeant wrote, “I and the soldiers of this base camp would like to thank you for contributing your time and effort to putting in letters and cards. We realize we are not entitled to rewards from you or anyone else for that matter, but we appreciate any and all things given to us from you.”
The donated items are those that have been most requested by troops, and it varies from year to year. This year the list included: food items such as pop tarts, Ramen noodles and canned fruit; hygiene items such as shampoo, men’s and women’s deodorant and mouthwash; drink mixes like Kool-aide singles; snack items such as twizzlers and popcorn; and others.
Local drop-off points included: Miles Ace Hardware #1 in Peachtree City; Big Daddy’s in Fayetteville; Cycle City Power Sports in Newnan; Discount Golf Shop in Peachtree City; Eye Care Plus in Peachtree City; Gilroy’s Complete Hardware & Lumber in Peachtree City; Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan, King’s Custom Cycle in Fairburn; Peachtree Tan & Salon in Peachtree City; The Men’s World Barber Shop in Fayetteville; The Village Paint Stores in Fayetteville and Peachtree City; and St. Steven The Martyr Roman Catholic Church in Lilburn.
For more information see the website at www.operationsandboxga.com.
— by Randy Gaddo, Operation Sandbox volunteer. (Gaddo is Leisure Services Director for Peachtree City).
