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Sending Thanks To Our Troops Overseas Is In The Bag

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By MEGAN HUSSEY, Tribune correspondent

Published: November 17, 2007

WESLEY CHAPEL - Today, Pasco residents can celebrate a late Veterans Day and an early Christmas by creating holiday cards and care packages for troops stationed overseas.

The Make Cards For Our Soldiers program will take place at the New River Library in Wesley Chapel and the Hugh Embry Library in Dade City. The admission for this program will be a single, 1-gallon zipped plastic bag, filled with items that also will be sent to the troops. These can include pens, stationery, stamps, playing cards, snacks, deodorant, shampoo, phone cards, batteries, CDs, DVDs, socks, bar soap and sunscreen.

Presenter Deb Rottum of www.nowwhatcreations.com and her family have made four of these bags. She plans to bring her three children, 10-year-old Courtney, 8-year-old Megan and 16-month-old Zachary, to today's programs.

"I want my children to know how much people care about the soldiers, and how fun it can be to help," said Rottum, a Wesley Chapel scrapbooking and card-making professional who teaches workshops in the Pasco County Library System.

It was one of her students at the library, in fact, who inspired her to present the Make Cards For Our Soldiers workshop.

"She said, 'My uncle is stationed overseas. Can we make cards for them?'" said Rottum, adding with a chuckle, "Anyone who knows Deb knows I never do anything small-scale."

Rottum immediately pledged to donate all materials needed for a card-making project. Then, with the permission of the Pasco County Library System, she reserved library space for two related workshops.

The admission price for the workshop, she decided, would be one 1-gallon bag filled with donations for the troops. Then she made arrangements to deliver all cards and bags to Bob Williams, a Wesley Chapel resident who conducts a wide-scale, ongoing project to send care packages to troops.

Rottum said the designs and content of the cards will depend entirely on their creators.

"Each person will get five blank cards and they can do whatever they want," she said. "I'm going to have a kids' table where they can do their own thing. Kids are so creative. If adults want a little more guidance I'll be there, but the cards can be whatever they make them."

With the paper, rubber stamps and envelopes provided by Rottum, participants can create brightly decorated holiday, birthday and good wishes cards for the troops, and can personalize their creations by sticking notes inside the cards and stamping their backs.

"I have stamps that read, 'This card was created by,'" she said. "I would love for people to write their names and hometowns beneath this stamp."

This isn't the first time Rottum has done her part to support the troops.

"Last year, my daughter Megan's teacher at Sand Pine Elementary had a boyfriend stationed overseas," she said. "We participated in her class' efforts to send care packages to his troop."

With the Make Cards For Our Soldiers project, she feels that she can apply her specialized skills to a worthy cause.

"Everybody has a special talent, and I already have the materials to make this project happen," she said. "I know that good things happen to people who do good."

Linda Bragg, public relations specialist for the Pasco County Library System, agrees.

"We are very proud we can support the troops in this way and make their holidays brighter," she said. "We want them to know we're thinking of them."

CARDS FOR OUR SOLDIERS PROGRAM

SOME BACKGROUND: The public is invited today to make holiday cards for soldiers stationed overseas in programs at the New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, and the Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St. in Dade City. Deb Rottum of www.nowwhatcreations.com will donate the paper and envelopes necessary to make the cards.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS: Each participant is asked to bring a 1-gallon zipped bag filled with items to send to the troops. For a complete list of acceptable donations, visit the www.asoldierswishlist.org. Bob Williams of www.ourtroopsonline.com will receive the bags and ship them to troops for the holidays.

GET INVOLVED: Children are welcome to this program. Registration is not required. The program will be from 10-11 a.m. at the New River Library and 12:30-1:30 p.m. at Hugh Embry Library.

For information, call (727) 861-3020.

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