For Our Troops: Bring These Things to Rodeo

Rodeo-goers this weekend have a chance to contribute to the latest mission of Operation Mom, founded by Castro Valley military moms Dottie Selmeczki and Gloria Godchaux to support and bring cheer to service members overseas.

The nonprofit group will have bins at the Rowell Ranch Rodeo grounds where you can donate packaged snacks, toiletries, crossword puzzles and other items to help make deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan just a little bit more comfortable. 

The nonprofit packs and ships an average of 80 to 100 such packages a month, especially to service members who don't routinely receive packages from home, said volunteer Ethel Gilmore of Castro Valley.

, which may include energy or granola bars; pop-topcans of tuna and chicken; ground and instant coffee; toiletries of all kinds; feminine hygiene items, headbands and hair ties; underwear for men and women; instant noodles; nonperishable microwave food and popcorn; and cotton swabs and baby wipes (to stay clean in situations where there's no water). The troops also request A-1 sauce; rations are bland.

All these items and more will be accepted at the donation bins during rodeo weekend. For details, check Operation Mom's website.

Forbidden are glass or aerosol items, pornography, chocolate (it melts) and, to respect the host countries' sensibilities, pork products (lots of jerky has pork in it—who knew?). 

Greeting cards or letters of cheer and support addressed to Dear Servicemember or the like are very welcome, but they must be in an unsealed envelope, and Gilmore cautions that all will be read and vetted for inappropriate content.

"We have in the past gotten notes that were critical of the war in very vicious language, and it's very upsetting. It's not the time or place," Gilmore said.

 on Grove Way provides storage space at a rent of just $1 a year for items awaiting shipment.

Next week, Operation Mom plans to take the donations to San Quentin State Prison, where inmates have volunteered to sort and pack them for shipment.

"Lots of inmates are veterans, and part of their rehabilitation is community service," Gilmore said.

The rodeo grounds open at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22, on Dublin Canyon Road east of Palomares Road. For more details, go to rowellranchrodeo.com.