CONTACT: Lynn Grochowski, 515-271-3606, lmg013@drake.edu;
Katie Knorovsky, 515-271-1834, katie.knorovsky@drake.edu
Drake student Lynn Grochowski is going above and beyond the call of duty to spur support for American soldiers serving overseas.
Grochowski, a junior radio-TV major from Milwaukee, recently initiated a community-wide drive using her weekly campus radio show, “The Underdog Hour,” to gather donated entertainment items for care packages to be sent to soldiers. She believes the items will help relieve the stress and boredom facing soldiers. The drive will continue through the end of April.
“I’m hoping people can come together and show special support for our troops,” Grochowski said. “This is the time of year that soldiers need our support the most. People are busy, and when it’s not a major holiday like the Fourth of July or Christmas, thoughts of our soldiers overseas tend to slip into the back of people’s minds.”
The entertainment drive will accept only the following high-demand items:
• CDs
• DVDs
• Playstation 2 video games
• Xbox video games
• Hand-written notes of support
Illegally burned CDs and DVDs will not be accepted. Donated items will be added to care packages assembled by Books for Soldiers, a nonprofit soldier support network. Care packages will also contain books, magazines, snack food and personal care items.
“Community service is very much into the spirit of what we try to contribute to Drake and the Des Moines community in our broadcast journalism education,” said Gary Wade, Drake associate professor of electronic media. “It’s great to have a student take what we do, put it together with what she sees as a service need and spend the time to make it happen.”
The collection box is located in the Student Life Center office at Drake’s Olmsted Center, 29th Street and University Avenue.
“The Underdog Hour” broadcasts each Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. on KDRA-LP, “94-1 The Dog.”