Razzari Auto Centers, Blue Star need gifts for troops

The holiday wish list of Merced County soldiers stationed away from home this Christmas is humbling, to say the least.

The deployed service members want clean pillowcases, deodorant, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and shaving cream – some of the most basic personal hygiene items others take for granted – along with nonperishable snack foods.

The Merced County Blue Star Mothers and Families, an organization of parents of deployed soldiers or veterans, is teaming up with the Razzari Auto Centers to make the soldiers’ Christmas wishes come true.

The organization is collecting donations, thank-you cards and notes to mail to soldiers, in addition to monetary contributions to help with shipping costs. The group shipped 150 care packages last year, but donations this year have been slow, according to Deb Toland, the chaplain of the local Blue Star Mothers chapter.

Toland said she hopes the Merced community will help support the effort to brighten the holidays of those serving in the military, guard or reserves.

“It makes them feel appreciated and remembered to receive something from home,” said Toland, whose son served four years in the Marines. “I think they can feel isolated, and we’d like to send them a piece of Merced.”

Eric Hamm, general manager of Razzari Auto Centers, said the Merced dealerships teamed up with the local Blue Star Mothers because the centers’ owner, Tim Razzari, is a veteran.

“It was on our mind that there is no one else we’d rather support than our local troops who are overseas away from family at Christmas,” Hamm said. “As it turns out, the Blue Star Mothers do a drive every year and were happy to partner with us.”

The donation drive kicked off on Veterans Day, but the deadline to drop off items is 5 p.m. Dec. 11. Donations can be dropped off at all three Razzari dealerships in addition to Gateway Community Church, 353 East Donna Drive in Merced.

Hamm said he hopes the partnership between Razzari and the Blue Star Mothers will continue and that donations keep coming in. “I hope that our community will get behind this effort and help out our troops,” he said. “And I know they will.”

This story was originally published November 29, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Razzari Auto Centers, Blue Star need gifts for troops."