By MADDY VITALE
This year the Sea Isle City VFW Post 1963 Auxiliary is sending care packages a long way — to troops in Kodiak, Alaska, as part of their “Adopt-a-Troop” program.
“This is our fourth year adopting a troop,” explained Patti Lloyd, auxiliary president.
A T-shirt sale ran through Jan. 24 in which people bought one T-shirt and, in return, one would be sent to the troop. In the next month, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, will be the recipient of the care packages.
The troop was carefully chosen at an auxiliary meeting, Lloyd noted.
“We pick our troop each year based on whether they have origins in Sea Isle, or something associated with Sea Isle and Cape May County,” Lloyd said.
Coast Guard member Joseph Sipple and his parents used to vacation in Sea Isle. Some of their family members still do, Lloyd noted. In addition, Sipple’s cousin is a member of the auxiliary.
The auxiliary is asking for donations of Walmart, Amazon, Visa and Mastercard gift cards to give the troops. People have until Feb. 25 to drop off the gift cards to the post.
Lloyd, whose husband is Post 1963 Commander Mark Lloyd, said that the post assists the auxiliary with the Adopt-a-Troop program.
Each member of Sipple’s troop will receive a care package, which will include a T-shirt.
Sipple and his troop will officially be the “adopted” troop on March 5, Lloyd noted, adding that there are 140 members in the troop.
Every donation helps to show the military members that they are appreciated, she said.
“Visa and Mastercard gift cards are good because they could use them to do grocery shopping,” Lloyd added. “I know they have a Walmart on the island. Anything they get means they have less that they have to spend.”
The auxiliary will be working hard to box up the packages, Lloyd noted.
“I collect everything, and we box them up to send. They have to go by boat and air,” she said.
And something special will go into each goodie box – a photo of some of the auxiliary members in their T-shirts honoring the troop.
“We take a picture in the T-shirts and then we ask them to Skype with us a photo of them wearing their new T-shirts,” she noted.
The T-shirts have an air search patch on the back and the words, “VFW Post 1963 Proudly Supports Our Troops.”
VFW Post 1963 is located at 301 John F. Kennedy Blvd. in Sea Isle City. For more information, visit www.vfwpost1963.com and the Post Auxiliary Facebook page.
