USO care package fundraiser set for Saturday

A Chinook helicopter will kick off a USO Care Package fundraiser at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at North Town Plaza on North Carson Street.

The community is asked to make cash donations to help fund individual care packages to be sent to troops overseas. The event runs until 2 p.m.

The company of Waddell & Reed Inc., financial advisors, donated 1,000 boxes in January for the troops. They will match the next 1,000 packages funded through community donations.

"Our goal is to raise enough money to fill 400 care packages," said Pat Gaskill, certified financial planner and district manager for Waddell & Reed in Carson City.

Each care package contains an AT&T phone card, toiletries, body wipes, beef jerky, playing cards, a power bar, popcorn, Reader's Digest, disposable camera, sunscreen, toilet paper and a hackey sack.

"It's about $75 worth of stuff, but it can be supported with $25," Gaskill said. "For those who can only donate $5 or $10, we will group the money to cover individual box costs.

"Also, for those donating, they can sign a card to go with the box."

Gaskill said items for the care packages are purchased through the USO due to past anthrax scares after Sept. 11, 2001.

"These are the only Department of Defense-approved care packages," he said.

The event also includes a climbing wall, bounce house, a performance by the Carson City Community Band, and free soda and hot dogs cooked by the Carson City Kiwanis. Blue Star Moms and Soldier's Angels will be on hand, and serviceflags.com will supply American flags to everyone attending.

"We will also have Hero Totes," Gaskill said. "A person can adopt a tote bag for currently hospitalized military personnel, fill it and bring it back."

Gaskill said Waddell & Reed is doing this as part of the company's 70th anniversary. The fundraiser is taking place in 70 cities across the United States.

"When we took this project on, it was ... there are so many people doing so many things, we just kept stumbling onto them so we gathered them up.

"We'll have a lot going on. The opening ceremony is at 11 a.m. and the band plays from noon to 1 p.m. We want people to come out and eat, look at all the stuff and hopefully raise the money needed for the care packages."

Gaskill said Cold Stone Creamery will be on hand to sell ice cream and donate 50 percent of the proceeds to the effort; Keva Juice will also be on hand and will donate 25 percent of its proceeds.

You can help

WHAT: USO Care Package fundraiser

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: North Town Plaza, North Carson Street and West College Parkway

COST: $25 per care package; all monetary donations accepted

WHO: Waddell & Reed Inc., financial planners

ALSO: Free sodas and hot dogs

CALL: 841-4033

On the Net

www.usocares.org

• Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.