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Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

Business students send troops letters

For thousands of U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, the holidays can be a lonely time, but students from the Mendoza College of Business are working to change that situation. The Notre Dame Accounting Association is conducting a drive to send care packages to soldiers with connections to the University, including graduates and family members of students.NDAA vice president Mike Milligan said the drive allows students to give back to the military personnel who defend the nation. "We can show our appreciation for the sacrifices they're making for us," he said.Margot O'Brien, the accounting club's faculty advisor, sent an e-mail appeal to all undergraduates in the college asking for their contributions to the project. "These men and women are very far from their families and any kind of normalcy," O'Brien wrote. "Let's make their Christmas a little merrier."Suggested food items include simple snacks that will not melt, including beef jerky, cookies and chips. The NDAA is also looking for donations such as magazines, newspapers, DVDs and Christmas music that will help the troops feel connected to the United States.O'Brien also asked that students compose letters to the troops on various topics, ranging from Irish sports to current events to messages of gratitude. "We want to keep them up to date about things going on here in the U.S. and around the world," Milligan said.Members of the NDAA will be collecting items and letters from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Monday in the atrium of the Mendoza College. Milligan said the group also welcomes monetary donations, which would allow further purchases for the care packages. The students will ship the items Tuesday, so they can be in the hands of American troops by Christmas.Milligan encouraged students and faculty members to be generous in support of their countrymen. "Hopefully there will be enough for the troops to share," he said.