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Community Corner

Lake Foresters Send a bit of 'Niceness' to Soldiers Serving in Afghanistan

Kenilworth couple coordinates care packages to their son, who will be absent for Christmas.

 

resident Shelley Hooke looked at the handmade scarves and tissue holders created by her and her mother, Carol Tarras of Highland Park, and realized the stark contrast they offer to soldiers serving abroad during this holiday season.

“This is some niceness from home so they can remember what they’re working for,” Hooke said. “The troops are doing all this for us; this is the least we can do."

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The Hookes were some of the people who stopped by Northbrook office Monday to provide the packings for boxes of holiday gifts for American troops stationed in Afghanistan.

The effort was organized by Saynde and Ron Kochman of Kenilworth, who will not be with their son, Air Force Lt. Andrew Kochman, for Christmas.

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The donated scarves and tissue holders are part of the Hooke's business, Liten-up Technologies in Lake Forest. Hooke brought the tissue holders to the office Monday assisted by her young sons, Andrew Hooke and Steven Hooke. The boys were part of the gift making.

“I helped stick them (the tissue) in there,” Andrew said.

More than a dozen people joined the Kochmans, Dold and his staff putting things like books, magazines, non perishable food, pens, batteries and other essentials in boxes for shipment to Andrew Kochman in Afghanistan.

“Sending packages to our troops is nothing novel,” Dold said. “All across the country people are doing this, and we want to make sure we are a part of it.”

Andrew Kochman, who is a navigator aboard C-130 Hercules transports, will be on the receiving end to make sure the boxes get to the troops. 

“Absolutely,” Saynde Kochman said when asked if packing the presents made her feel closer to her son. “It makes me feel committed to being a part of what’s he is doing. He’s doing the hard part. This is small in comparison to what the boys and women are doing there.”

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