WVHS drama club gathering goods for troops

The West Valley High School drama club is looking for a little of the good life to send to troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The students will be in front of the Albertsons store in Millwood, 8851 E. Trent Ave., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today for a drive to gather goods for soldiers and Marines stationed in the Middle East.

“We want to give them remembrances from home; life’s simple pleasures,” said Kamiel Youseph, the club’s director and a teacher at West Valley.

The group is hoping to collect magazines, books, videos, DVDs, “even letters if people want to write letters of encouragement or support,” Youseph said. “Any kind of artistic work that shows support is also appreciated.”

“I also heard that coffee — good coffee — is a well appreciated commodity over there,” he said. He encouraged people to buy ground coffee to donate.

Other food items, are “iffy,” Youseph said. Military officials said most food items are difficult to send, and may not be permitted.

Students will be handing out fliers with a list of items that are allowed on the day of the drive, Youseph said.

Customers coming in and out of Albertsons will also be treated to monologues and improvisational acts performed by the students.

Officials at Fairchild Air Force Base said they would take care of disbursement of the items to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, Youseph said. The students are hoping to deliver the boxes to the base Monday or Tuesday, unless they don’t get enough items, and then they will hold another drive at a later date.

“We want to be able to give them several boxes full of stuff to enjoy,” Youseph said.