Local group gathers goodies for soldiers

By ALEX STRICKLAND

Bigfork Eagle

It might not feel much like Christmas for soldiers who are stationed in the deserts of Iraq, but they'll have some holiday cheer thanks to a group in Bigfork who sent a pile of care packages to the Middle East last week.

Organized by Paul and Muffin Vallely and the Soldiers Memorial Fund program they sponsor, about 30 volunteers stuffed boxes with beef jerky, hot cocoa, popcorn, movies and other treats for those stationed overseas.

"We do this about four times a year," said Paul Vallely, a retired Major General in the Army.

The Vallely's lost their son, Scott, in 2004 while he was training for the Army's Special Forces in Fort Bragg, N.C. After his death, they started the Soldiers Memorial Fund and started using some of the money that comes in from all over the world to send regular shipments to soldiers.

"Because we get international donations, we're able to reimburse everyone who buys something," Muffin Vallely said.

Friday's group worked with practiced, assembly line efficiency to prepare the boxes and distribute the mountains of items.

Kim Jones, a Bigfork woman whose son was deployed to Iraq about a month ago, said she got a call from the Vallelys after they saw a story about her in the paper. Jones' son, Todd, is stationed near Karbala with the Army's 3rd Infantry unit.

"Isn't this amazing?" Jones asked as she looked out over the packages.

Four of the large boxes will go to Todd Jones' company and Jones said she had writers cramp after hand-writing a Christmas card to each of the 200 members of the company. She has spoken with many groups and classes around Bigfork in an effort to "adopt" each soldier in her son's company by the holidays.

For more information about the Soldiers Memorial Fund, visit http://www.soldiersmemorialfund.com.