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Several volunteers continue to keep Operation Homefront a success.

The volunteers donate items and time to ship packages to soldiers overseas. LaVerne Cramer, of Tomah, is one such volunteer, and she also tracks the progress of the operation.

On Jan. 22, Cramer and her husband Lloyd held a packing party at their home. LaVerne said that the party was to get a jump start on the Tomah area boxes with labels and customs slips. Volunteers included Ralph Parkinson, Zetta Frederickson, Karen Rapp, Janiece Kirchoff, Missy Waugh.

The Tomah High School newspaper staff, under the direction Drew Seminison, and the Sparta High School newspaper staff, under the direction of Sheila Hoff, recently held a contest collecting supplies for Operation Homefront. Sparta won the contest, and Cramer said that three carloads of items were collected. Sparta’s Assistant Principal, Dale Stafslien, delivered the items to the Cramers’ home, and nearly 20 boxes and sack loads were collected through the contest.

“All I can say is, ‘Wow’,” Cramer said. “Both schools did a superb job, and I feel all deserve an ‘A’.”

Karen Rapp made and donated over 60 Green Bay Packers scarves. Cramer said that the scarves were a big hit with the troops.

The next packing date is Feb. 13, and you can donate items at Burnstad’s, J & R Variety, the Senior Center and Wal-Mart. Operation Homefront is looking for letters and cards of encouragement and support, beef jerky, on-the-go packs of flavored bottled water, protein bars, trail mix and snacks, non-oil baby wipes, coffee, deodorant, tooth brushes, chap stick, feminine products, batteries (AA), and outdoor magazines. For more information, call LaVerne Cramer at 372-5245.