Daily Record News - Rockaway mom 'adopts' 10 more -- = U.S. soldiers

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07/18/04 - = Posted from=20 the Daily Record newsroom=20

How to help

Anyone can donate money, supplies or = write=20 letters to the 10 soldiers fighting in = Iraq who=20 Tracey Pratt of Rockaway has "adopted."

The three drop-off centers are:

n Rockaway Borough Police Department, = Monday=20 through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

n Rockaway Borough Fire Department, = Sundays=20 from 9 a.m. to noon.

n Monetary donations can be dropped = off at=20 Rockaway Town Hall, Monday through Friday = from 9=20 a.m. to 4 p.m.=20 =

Rockaway mom 'adopts' 10 more -- U.S. = soldiers

By Elizabeth Salemme, Daily = Record

ROCKAWAY -- U.S. = soldiers=20 fighting overseas risk their lives each day, and while = many=20 have loved ones at home constantly supporting them, = others do=20 not.

Tracey Pratt of Rockaway wanted to take action so = these men=20 and women would not be forgotten. So she joined Adopt = a=20 Platoon, a nonprofit organization run by volunteers = across the=20 United States. The idea behind the organization is to = help=20 troops fighting abroad receive much-needed supplies = and=20 support.

"I adopted 10 soldiers in need of supplies," Pratt = said. "I=20 had to go through a screening process, and with that = I'm now=20 asking for donations of non-perishable food and = supplies."

AAP was founded in 1998 by Ida H=E4gg of Texas, who = was the=20 mother of a soldier fighting in Bosnia. When her son = told her=20 that his fellow soldiers did not have loved ones at = home to=20 send letters and supplies, H=E4gg decided to start an=20 organization to help troops like them.

After going through a screening process done by the = volunteers who run the organization, Pratt was = accepted in=20 May. She wrote letters to the schools in her district = with the=20 hope that children would write to and make posters for = the 10=20 soldiers she "adopted."

The response was positive, Pratt said, and she has = sent at=20 least one package to the soldiers each month since = May.

"We've been doing pretty good," she said.

"We just had a banner signing last weekend at the = fire=20 department. My husband is the chief of the (Rockaway) = fire=20 department, so he's been helping."

The banner was donated by J.R. Mason of Signs of = Fire in=20 Rockaway Township, and was signed at the Rockaway = Borough=20 Family Festival, Pratt said.

The 10 soldiers are based out of the state of = Washington,=20 but Pratt may not disclose more information about who = they=20 are. H=E4gg and a committee of volunteer moms -- and = motherhood=20 is a requirement for being on the committee -- select = the=20 soldiers to be adopted.

"Right now, these soldiers are supposed to come = home in=20 September, so hopefully they will," Pratt said.

Most of the soldiers who are "adopted" in this = program do=20 not have loved ones at home to send them needed = supplies, such=20 as food and toiletries.

"We did so well this past weekend that we will send = four=20 boxes this month," Pratt said.

"We got $150 this week, so this will help with = shipping and=20 other supplies that people haven't purchased."

Pratt has received help and donations from people = and=20 organizations in Rockaway, including the police and = fire=20 departments.

"I think it's great," Pratt said. "My heart goes = out to=20 them (the soldiers). They're over there fighting for = us,=20 fighting for our freedom, and it's good to do any = little bit=20 that helps out."

Elizabeth Salemme can be reached = at esalemme@gannett.com or=20 (973) 428-6634.

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