MSC LEAD and its Whoop! For Troops program is looking to send 175 boxes of toiletries, snacks and 45,000 cards to soldiers across the world, just in time for Christmas.
The annual Whoop! For Troops program, sponsored by the Texas A&M chapter of Support Our Troops, will have donation boxes set up in the Memorial Student Center and at the Veteran Resource and Support Center in Koldus until Friday. 125 boxes and 4,000 cards were sent overseas last year, and the program now looks to increase those numbers.
“The items are sent to military bases,” said Jessica Lochte, interdisciplinary studies senior and executive director of the program. “We work with the organization Support Our Troops. This program was put together by Aggies, but not only Aggies receive the items.”
Whoop! For Troops began in 2007 to boost morale of the troops overseas during the holidays and make them feel closer to home, Lochte said. Lochte said A&M students sign cards made by elementary school students before the cards are sent along with other Aggie donations.
Lochte said those involved have been able to witness impacts both on campus and overseas.
Allie Clark, sociology junior and Whoop! For Troops director of community service, said last spring the organization was contacted by a soldier.
“It was a surprise, because I was not expecting to hear anything back from the soldiers,” Clark said. “It was great to see the final step in our project. They were so appreciative and to see how happy they were after receiving our care packages really motivated me to want to make sure Whoop was as successful this year.”