One local team is lending a helping hand to another team fighting overseason for the holidays.
The Michigan State Police Groveland Team, for the second straight year, is ‘adopting? a military unit for the holidays by sending them care packages and greetings from home.
This year, the team is adopting the 1071st Maintenance Company/2-28th BCT of the U.S. Army National Guard. The unit has been stationed in Iraq since April and will be separated from their families for the holidays. A total of 220 soldiers (192 men and 28 women) comprise the unit.
The Groveland Post, which services Groveland, Rose and Holly townships, will collect the items at their office, located at 14645 Dixie Highway, Holly, during regular business hours on weekdays from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
One of the MSP’s own troopers, D/Sgt. Jason Teddy, a Pinconning resident and a team member with the MSP Flint Post, is currently serving with the 1071st Maintenance Company. He is a captain with the Army National Guard and the company commander.
Teddy has a wife, Jamie, and a newborn daughter, Ava Noelle, from whom he will be separated for the holidays.
Last year, the post sent 1,200 lbs. worth of items overseas by Dec. 6, but because of the near-closing of the Groveland Post, the collection due date has been moved back to Tuesday, Dec. 13, said Mary Vickrey, secretary at the MSP Groveland Post.
Vickrey said the U.S. Post Office will likely be shipping items Dec. 14, so it is still possible for people to drop off items at the Groveland Post on that date.
‘The Post Office is telling me if we ship on the 15th, we should make it in time for the holidays,? she said.
Vickrey said she first got the idea for the drive when she worked for the City of Flint.
‘Someone I worked with there had started a program,? she said. ‘With having the guys overseas, it seems like a good thing to do.?
In addition to sending care packages for the troops, the MSP will afford the community the opportunity to make holiday video greetings on DVDs for the soldiers.
Vickrey said she has equipment available for the post for those people who have greetings on VHS tapes and wish to convert them to DVD discs. In addition, the post has video cameras where people can tap 30 second video greetings.
She said this particular feature was a big hit with the troops last year.
‘Last year, there were a couple of schools that did their Christmas plays before the shipping deadline, so we shipped them over,? she said. ‘One of the schools went around and got greetings from the schools and the teachers.?
The MSP said they have requests for the following items:
‘DVD movies or music videos
‘Christmas cards, letters and other holiday items
‘Coffee, instant and regular, coffee filters
‘Magazines and reading materials
‘Cigars and chewing tobacco
‘Batteries (AA and AAA)
‘Phone cards and disposable cameras
‘Sporting goods
‘Battery-operated CD players and music CDs
‘Hand-held video games
‘Snacks; granola bars; beef jerky, canned chips, nuts, etc.
‘Stationery, pens, envelopes, postage stamps
Aerosol cans will not be shipped, and food items that melt in the heat, such as chocolate, are discouraged.
Details: MSP Groveland Post, (248) 634-4882.