RSVP Volunteers fill a pick-up truck bed full of donations to drive them to the USO at Rock Island Arsenal. CREDIT: Kendall & Southern Kane Counties Senior Services Associates, Inc.

Senior Services/Retired & Senior Volunteer Program and Plano American Legion Leon Burson Post #395 did something special this year to commemorate Sept. 11, Patriot’s Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance, and the result will be a little “R&R” for military personnel serving overseas.

Operation R&R, a brand new initiative started in September 2015 by the veterans and volunteer organizations, collected a pick-up truck load of sports equipment, which organizers have now packed up and sent.

Together the groups sought to commemorate September 11^th, Patriot’s Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance by collecting sports equipment and cash donations. Throughout the month of September, new and gently used baseballs, ball mitts, softballs and other sports equipment were donated in collection boxes at several locations in northern Illinois.

Senior Services Associates senior centers in Yorkville, Aurora, Elgin, Crystal Lake and McHenry all received donations, as did American Legion posts in Plano, Yorkville, Oswego and Elgin. 

“It is so good to see the enthusiasm grow through this past month for this campaign,” said Jim Hill Commander of Plano American Legion Post #395.

The donations collected at Senior Services offices, and local American Legion Posts totaled more 323 items, including 167 league baseballs, 47 softballs, 26 baseball bats, 21 ball mitts, 16 soccer balls, eight basketballs, six footballs and assorted sports gear including batting helmets, practice gear, Frisbee golf equipment, baseball caps and souvenir Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame Polo shirts. The collected items were inventoried and then boxed for delivery to the USO office at the Rock Island Arsenal in Rock Island, IL. In the next several weeks, the items will be repackaged along with other supplies to be shipped to military bases overseas. 

The USO also accepts donations to assist with shipping costs, and they were pleased to accept the monetary gifts collected through Operation R&R. Cash donations of $283 were received, the United Elgin Civic Association donated $250, and the Elgin American Legion gave $100, with donations totaling $633.

Among the several seniors who helped inventory and pack the sports equipment were USMC L/LCpl James Hill of Plano Illinois who also served our country as a USAR MSgt; US Army PFC Russell Sauer of Yorkville Illinois; USAF A1C Edward Nestor of Yorkville Illinois; USAR Sgt. Robert Guzman of Yorkville Illinois and Gerri Salemi, widow of US Army Cpl Andrew Salemi of Plano Illinois.  These are volunteers who usually help with activities at the Yorkville Senior Services Center through the RSVP program, but this project brought tears to their eyes and started new conversations as they reminisced about their own experiences with the US military.

“We are so thankful for everyone’s participation and support of this collection campaign. It’s the first time we have tried a campaign like this, and we feel it has been a huge success,” said Barb Nadeau, RSVP Coordinator at Senior Services. “We plan to continue to talk with the representatives at the USO to learn more about what they may need to support our troops,” said Hill.  “We would be happy to continue collaborating with Senior Services in these campaigns. My hope is to publicize future collection efforts at our American Legion Posts and at Senior Services locations, so that we can ship supplies with the USO every year, every six months or possibly even quarterly,” he added.  “We want to hear from them about some of the things they are really missing from home.”

For more information on this collection campaign, contact Barb Nadeau, RSVP Coordinator at Senior Services Associates, 630-553-5777 or Jim Hill, Commander of Plano American Legion Post #395 at 630-552-8313.

Operation R&R is a special program of the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program of Kane, Kendall & McHenry Counties of Illinois. For more information about RSVP, contact Barb Nadeau at 630-553-5777, or by email at bnadeau@seniorservicesassoc.org

SOURCE:  Kendall & Southern Kane Counties Senior Services Associates, Inc. press release