During the month of July, First Tire & Automotive, in cooperation with Houston Marine Moms, will be collecting donations at Their Sugar Land stores for care packages to be sent to U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The local community is encouraged to stop by any time during business hours in July and place their donation items in the red collection barrels that will be located in the waiting areas of each of the three Fort Bend County locations – 960 Eldridge, in First Colony at 2303 Williams Trace, and the Grand Parkway/Greatwood location at 20015 Southwest Freeway.
There will also be a banner at each store for customers to sign which will be sent along with the care packages as a personalized “thank you” to the troops.
Donations can be made during all business hours: 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Saturdays throughout the month of July. All of the items received will be packaged and shipped by Houston Marine Moms directly to the military at Forward Operating Bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We are so excited to have this opportunity to marshal the support of our Fort Bend community to make a positive impact beyond our local borders,” says Craig Popp, owner of First Tire & Automotive since 1997, along with his wife Nancy Popp. “Our nation’s birthday is a great time to reflect on how blessed we are as a nation and how much the sacrifices of our service men and women make those blessings possible.”
“The conditions for the Military in Afghanistan are austere to say the least,” said Karla Ritzen, of Houston Marine Moms. “Marines at FOBs currently have no ‘chow halls’, laundry facilities, showers or restroom facilities. They are eating Meals Ready to Eat, washing the best they can out of ammo cans, and sleeping on cots or on the ground.”
FOBs send out patrols that carry packs on their backs weighing 100 pounds, so travel size items are in high demand. Some of the most needed supplies include food items such as tuna or chicken in foil packets, granola or protein bars, beef jerky, single serving powdered drink mixes, cheese and crackers, and nuts.
Also personal care items such as baby wipes or disposable wash cloths, hand sanitizer, white crew socks, gold bond foot powder, sunscreen, lip balm and Mach 3 razors. A complete list of suggested donation items can be found on the First Tire & Automotive website under Internet Only Offers at www.firsttireandauto.com. As an added incentive to make a donation, First Tire will offer customers who bring in a donation a discount on their vehicle repair.
Go Marines!