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The organization known as Boatsie’s Boxes evolved from a son’s call for help. When Master Sgt. Patrick VanVranken, was stationed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in 2004, he received an e-mail that said the military hospital in Baghdad was in desperate need of basic supplies.
Knowing that his mother was the type of person to help, VanVranken sent the e-mail to his mother, Gail VanVranken. Her efforts to get necessary supplies to our troops has now become a world-wide effort that has seen VanVranken recognized by President George W. Bush.
Her cause was taken up locally by Gayle Pigford, who is now in her fifth year of stuffing Christmas stockings for troops overseas. Pigford originally ran her operation out of her office at the State Employee’s Credit Union on Old Farm Road, but the response has been so great she was unable to continue those efforts in the Credit Union office.
Up stepped the new management team at Becker Village Mall, who has not only let the organization use the Mall office for an operations center, but also helped in getting the word out for donations and volunteers.
“I had a brother who was serving overseas, so I was looking for something I could do to help,” said Pigford Saturday afternoon, as she directed a whirlwind of activity in the Mall office.
Becker Village Mall Manager Tammy Stowinsky said she was glad to help. “We were looking for something we could do, events involving the military, and this was perfect,” Stowinsky said as she too directed even more folks walking in with items to donate.
Three long rows of tables were stacked high with boxes of donated items waiting to be stuffed into stockings for the armed forces. Groups of volunteers worked behind and around the tables, passing stockings along, much like an assembly line.
In one corner stood eight large boxes, already filled with stuffed stockings, taped-up and ready to send. Beside those boxes sat two volunteers patiently sewing each stuffed stocking closed, to prevent the contents from spilling out in the boxes during shipping.
Two Boy Scouts from Troop 146, Trevor Brennan and Nick Edwards, were doing anything Pigford needed them to do, much like firemen running around and putting out brushfires. “I’m just trying to do my part to help out all I can,” said Brennan as he taped boxes shut. “They’re doing their part over there, so it’s the least I can do to help them.” Edwards agreed saying, “I think its good the troops get a chance to enjoy Christmas even though they are overseas.”
Many of the volunteers and those that brought in items to donate also included personalized notes, messages and cards, which will be put into many of the stockings. Some of the items Boatsie has asked for this year include T-shirts, underpants, razors, shaving cream, batteries, toothpaste and toiletries, but the tables in the Mall offices contained much more than just those things. There were boxes of microwave popcorn, candy, Ramen noodles, batteries, books, writing utensils and much more.
Overall, more than 300 stockings were stuffed by late Saturday afternoon, far shy of the goal of 700 Pigford had targeted this year, so another volunteer stuffing day has been added for this Thursday, Nov. 20, and donated items are definitely needed, said Stowinsky. “We ran out completely after stuffing more than 300 stockings.”
While this one-day stocking stuffing event at the mall was a huge success, volunteers still have plenty of opportunities to help. The boxes must still be shipped in time to make the long trip overseas. For more information on helping with Boatsie’s Boxes, Pigford can be reached at SECU, at 252-537-4718 and Tammy Stowinsky can be reached at the Mall office, at 252-537-9040.
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