Amid the shopping frenzy this weekend, a few extra items in one’s shopping cart can make a big difference for troops with ties to Summit County.

The Rotary of Summit County’s Troop Support program will send out its holiday boxes next week, and support for the program has been down this year, according to organizer Liz Wickert.

Helping is simple. Donation boxes at City Market and Walgreens in Dillon and Safeway and Walmart in Frisco list suggested donation items and where to find them in the store. Donors can purchase the items as part of their normal shopping trip and drop them in the donation box on their way out.

“It’s such an easy way to give back to our soldiers,” Wickert said.

Donation items range from fun to functional. Some of the suggestions include toiletries, snack foods, media, stationery, foam footballs and every college students’ favorite meal – ramen noodles. Warm base-layer clothing that can be worn under uniforms is also recommended.

The donations will be divided and packaged on Dec. 1 so troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will receive the packages by the holidays. All of the troops receiving packages have ties to Summit County.

Wickert and other volunteers from the Rotary actually send out packages about every two months, but they try to make a big push around holidays for support. Over the eight-year history of the program, more than 1,000 boxes have been sent to troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This year the troops will receive additional support in the form of letters from students in Diane Smith’s Summit Middle School classes and youth participants in local nonprofit SOS Outreach’s programs. Wickert said the children’s letters will be a welcome surprise for the soldiers.

And, of course, copies of the Summit Daily are sent to the soldiers to keep them current on the happenings back in the High Country.

Cash donations are encouraged to help cover the cost of shipping the packages. Tax-deductible donations can be made by check to Summit County Rotary Charitable Fund, PO Box 4401, Frisco, CO 80443. Checks should be labeled in the memo section with the words “Troop Support.” Anyone who knows a deserving soldier serving overseas should send can contact Wickert at (970) 453-4778 or summitrotary@aol.com.

SDN reporter Drew Andersen can be contacted at (970) 668-4633 or drewa@summitdaily.com.