The Dear Hero Program, a Penn State undergraduate student organization devoted to raising the morale of deployed troops and wounded veterans, will collect donated items for military personnel care packages from Oct. 8-29 at Eisenhower Auditorium on the University Park campus.
The girlfriend of a U.S. Marine who realized when he served in Afghanistan that many of his fellow Marines didn’t receive letters from home founded the Dear Hero Program.
Through the program, letters and care packages are sent from veterans, ROTC members, students, family, friends and others to troops serving overseas.
The program also has helped members of the community to become trained volunteers at the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona.
Donated items for the care packages may be dropped off at Eisenhower lobby collection bins during regular business hours, weekdays 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., or when patrons attend an event at Eisenhower.
See a care-package wish list, which includes dozens of items such as nonperishable snack foods, health and personal hygiene products, magazines, playing cards and more.
Visit the Dear Hero Program Web site for more information.
The collection is scheduled in connection with the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State presentation of “Basetrack Live.” The multimedia contemporary theater production, produced by En Garde Arts, is at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29, in Eisenhower.
The show, based on the experiences of a Marine based in Afghanistan, seeks to promote communication and focus national attention on the issues facing returning veterans and their families.
Each active and retired member of the military may obtain as many as two complimentary tickets to “Basetrack Live,” which is recommended for ages 14 and older.
Go to the Center for the Performing Arts “Basetrack Live” event page for more information about the show, related engagement activities and tickets.
In addition to “Basetrack Live,” Center for the Performing Arts presentations during the collection period are Cirque Alfonse in “Timber!” on Oct. 8; Aspen Santa Fe Ballet on Oct. 14; Brian Stokes Mitchell in “Simply Broadway” on Oct. 17; SpokFrevo Orquestra on Oct. 21; and “Mamma Mia!” on Oct. 23. Each begins at 7:30 p.m.