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Christmas stockings being made for soldiers
Staff Writer There are many men and women in the Brainerd lakes area who are serving their country and unable to make it home in time for Christmas.
And there are several individuals and organizations who are working to make sure these servicemen and women are not forgotten during the holidays.
When Lt. Col. Jerry Steinke of Brainerd was deployed to Iraq in 2004, one of his favorite photographs was of him standing in the desert, holding a Christmas stocking that matched his uniform, made by his wife.
Once again, Steinke will spend another Christmas in Iraq. He is stationed in Basrah with the Minnesota National Guard 34th Infantry Red Bulls Division.
His wife, Kristin Rajala, along with another military wife, Christine Newman of Little Falls, are making 110 Christmas stockings, which also match their husband's uniforms, to send to their husbands' section of the Red Bulls.
The women are asking for donations to help them fill out the stockings to send to the soldiers for Christmas.
Rajala said she has received a few donations for the stockings, such as pocket calendars, small containers of toothpaste and dental floss, hotel-sized soap and shampoo. Walmart has provided her with a $50 gift card, Fleet Farm gave a $100 gift card and a military services association gave her $100 to help purchase other items. She is hoping for some additional small consumable donations, such as toothbrushes, and perhaps telephone cards for soldiers to use to call home. Other monetary donations would help her purchase items to put in the stockings.
The Brainerd Public Library is accepting donations and has a big duffel bag labeled "Santa's Sack for Soldiers." Library workers also will accept checks and other donations and will pass them on to Rajala.
Rajala said she would need donated items the first week of December so she'd have time to mail them to Iraq before Christmas. Items like telephone cards could be mailed by Dec. 15. Her husband is putting together the stockings for his division, adding candy he's already received to the stockings.
Rajala said her husband and his fellow soldiers will hopefully be home by February. More information may be obtained by contacting Rajala at 330-4836.
The Central Lakes College Robotics Club is teaming with the Minnesota National Guard in their toys4kids program, which helps raise funds to purchase gifts and toys for deployed service parents to give to their children for Christmas.
The robotics club will host an auction with items donated from area businesses and individuals from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 1 at the CLC Staples Campus to raise money for the toys4kids program.
Mike Wisniewski, robotics club president, said those who wish to donate in this fundraising effort may contact him at 831-0372 or any robotics club member.
"Your contribution and participation to this great cause will be greatly appreciated and put a smile on a child's face this Christmas, even though their parent or parents cannot be present," said Wisniewski.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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