In October of 2014, the Tega Cay Women’s Club held a garage sale during Tega Cay’s Fall Festival to raise money for a charity. They decided to designate the military as the recipient, but they were not sure exactly what to do. Michele McGuire remembered sending care packages to troops about eight years ago. She thought about the fact that everyone remembers our overseas troops at Christmas, but what about Easter? She then knew exactly what they had to do. Members of the Women’s Club began putting out word via email, civic organizations, churches and old fashioned word-of-mouth in order to build a list of over 27 names of troops from our area that are currently serving overseas. McGuire reached out to the City of Tega Cay to help get the word out through City communications including the Facebook page, Twitter and weekly newsletter.
McGuire said many reached out after reading the City’s newsletter including SMSgt Thomas Purucker’s wife, Marie, a Tega Cay resident. She knew her husband’s 20 troops would be excited to receive something from home. And they were! “10 troops were on guard per shift and they were happy to receive a surprise from Tega Cay when they came on shift” stated SMSgt Purucker.
The garage sale raised $850 of which $540 was used in shipping costs alone. The additional funds and a multitude of donations from the ladies poured in. 25 volunteers met on March 13 th at the Tega Cay Philip T. Glennon Community Center to pack the boxes with treats such as candy, beef jerky, peanut butter crackers, powdered drink mixes and games. The boxes also contained hand knitted caps and personal care items such as razors, deodorant, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, sunscreen, foot powder, chapstick and socks. The women made sure there was plenty of Easter candy included as well!
“These are our heroes” stated McGuire. “We wanted them to know we are always thinking of them, but especially at Easter.”
Major Scott Medlyn sent an email of thanks to the ladies writing “…please know how much your thoughts and efforts mean to two Carolinians so far from home.” He also wrote “there are many here who are of the finest qualities. It speaks well of us as a country to have such people step forward with a desire to make other less fortunate people's lives better. It is a privilege to wear the same uniform.”
All 34 boxes were sent to troops stationed in Afghanistan, England, Israel and Japan and arrived just before the Easter holiday.