Jan 10, 2008
Bill Madaras leading charge to send packages to troops overseas
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With the holidays past and the new year upon us, William Madaras, father of Pfc. Nicholas Madaras who was killed in Iraq in September 2006, wants to remind Wilton residents that even with the holidays gone there are still soldiers overseas in need of support.
“When you talk to people, you never know who has a relative,” said Mr. Madaras in an interview. He encouraged those who are looking for troops to send packages or letters to ask around; there are many in town and nearby who have a connection to a soldier abroad.
And it doesn’t necessarily matter whether you know the soldier you’re writing or sending a package to; in fact, Mr. Madaras said “that’s kind of special” when a soldier receives something from someone they don’t even know.
“Everything will be put to use. Nothing gets wasted,” said Mr. Madaras.
So what kind of things should be sent to troops to let them know they’re being thought of? Mr. Madaras said everything from Q-tips and lip balm to crackers and batteries could be sent to the troops as a sign of support.
“It’s hard to imagine sometimes. You might ask, ‘Is this stuff really helpful to them?’ It is,” said Mr. Madaras.
One item in particular Mr. Madaras said was typically a troop favorite was beef jerky, due to “a lot of chicken being served at the mess hall.”
What one chooses to send can also depend upon the location of the soldier; Mr. Madaras said soldiers in Afghanistan “will pack up and go into the wilderness for two weeks,” and so there’s not much point in sending over something that can be microwaved, for instance.
But other soldiers do have access to microwaves and other facilities and could certainly use a comfort food like popcorn, he said. Other factors such as the weather should stop people from sending things like chocolate to Iraq.
It doesn’t cost as much to send the items to troops as you might think. Mr. Madaras said for packages weighing 16 to 20 pounds, the shipping costs $10 to $15. The reason the shipping isn’t more is because the packages are first sent to a domestic zip code.
For those unsure of what to send or who to send it to, there is an alternative. Storage Deluxe at 111 Danbury Road is collecting items for the troops, and Mr. Madaras said a list of names of soldiers has been given to the company as well.
“They started with two names, now they’re up to seven or eight names,” said Mr. Madaras. The company has been collecting items for the troops since October.
The company has a list of items it’s looking for to send the troops, but to keep it simple, Linda Schmidt, general manager of the store, said in October they are essentially looking for “anything that’s not liquid.”
Kathleen Warner of Belden Hill Lane also has a list of names of soldiers to send items to. Her phone number is 331-7113.
If one doesn’t receive a response to the sent package, not to worry; it most likely got there.
“If you don’t hear back from these guys, it doesn’t mean anything. It just means they’re busy,” said Mr. Madaras.
But Mr. Madaras has been thanked many times for the items he sends. One soldier sent him a framed picture of himself distributing soccer balls from the Kick for Nick campaign to Iraqi children.
The Kick for Nick campaign has been collecting soccer balls in Pfc. Madaras’s honor, as he had told his father while he was alive that he wanted to give soccer balls to Iraqi children.
For his part, Mr. Madaras said he plans to “send stuff to as many people in as many places as I can.”
“It’s appreciated,” he said.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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