Communities support our troops through military drive

Senator George Maziarz, Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, Congressman Chris Collins, and members of the Clarence and Lockport VFWs joined to present care packages, comprised of donated items from the community, to the Blue Star Mothers organization. The organization will be sending the packages to men and women of our nation’s Armed Forces stationed in remote areas around the globe.

Senator George Maziarz said, “This has been a great effort, across two counties, to collect donations for troops overseas.  Hopefully the items will brighten some soldier’s day and remind him or her that people back at home are thinking of them.”

The “Support Our Troops” drive was held throughout the month of June, and concluded to coincide with Independence Day as a marker and reminder of the tenets of our nation that our troops are fighting to bring to people in other nations around the world. In partnership with Corwin, Collins, Maziarz, and local grocery stores, the drive culminated in more than 60 boxes of supplies being donated. Dash’s Market in Clarence, Tops Supermarket in Lockport, Pixley SureShine in Akron and Budwey’s Market in Newfane all were instrumental in helping collect the donations. 

The drive was organized with the intention of thanking our troops, reminding our community of their (and their families’) sacrifice, and helping bolster support for the troops by providing healthy and helpful items they cannot find so far from home. Without the convenience of corner stores and the difficulties that families face mailing packages to certain areas of the Middle East, desired items like protein bars, beef jerky, packaged tuna, travel-sized packs of nuts, packaged oatmeal and mini/travel-sized toiletries are cherished commodities by many troops abroad. These items are desired for convenience of shipping in addition to practicality for active duty servicemen in remote areas, who have limited capacity to carry larger-sized items.    

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