Don't throw that old iPod away, give it to a soldier
Donations for troops overseas
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

ROMAN CASTRO/Acorn Newspapers MUSIC SHUFFLE- Medea Creek Middle School student Kelsey Paule arranges iPods and iTune cards the community has donated for U.S. troops abroad. Kelsey and her father, Mike, started the project and called it "Operation: Give Music to a Soldier's Ears."

Anyone considering upgrading their Apple iPod might want to give their old iPod to Kelsey Paule.

The Oak Park 13-year-old is collecting used and new iPods and iTune cards in good condition to donate to American soldiers. With new Apple iPods being unveiled soon, Kelsey is hoping the cause she created called "Operation: Bring Music to a Soldier's Ears" will bring in plenty of used iPods.

Donations will be distributed to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to wounded soldiers recovering in U.S. hospitals. The equipment will be sent via Soldiers' Angels, a Pasadena-based nonprofit.

"It just melts your heart to hear about a young person standing up and doing something. It's so effective. People listen and they donate," said Patti Patton Bader, Soldiers' Angels founder and mother of two soldiers, one of whom is stationed in Iraq.

Kelsey, an eighth-grader at Medea Creek Middle School, hopes to collect at least 100 iPods by the end of the year.

"We need to make sure that the soldiers know that we really care about what they do for us," Kelsey said.

She came up with the idea as a service project in honor of her bat mitzvah to be held in November. Kelsey teamed up with her father, Michael, who serves on the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council. She spoke about her project at the September Council meeting.

"Anything we can do to support them is important," Michael Paule said. "All of us, as we go through our day-to-day lives, need to remember that we have 160,000 plus Americans over there protecting our freedom."

Kelsey will provide a written and recorded message to each recipient of a donated iPod and iTunes Gift Card to let soldiers know that they are appreciated for their dedication and sacrifices.

Kelsey and her father will pick up donations. E-mail them at ctlca24@gmail.com or call (818) 355-2570. Donations may be tax deductible. For information about Soldiers' Angels and other volunteer opportunities, visit www.soldiersangels.org.