Silly string for the troops!

[NCMEDIC]

This is a great idea!

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No joke: Silly String collected for troops
Amy Lee / The Detroit News

DEARBORN -- It may sound silly, but cans of shooting plastic goo that have long been a staple at children's parties are helping American troops avoid bombs in Iraq.

Silly String, also known as crazy string or party string, squirts from the can and drapes over objects. U.S. troops in Iraq have found shooting Silly String is an easy way to detect trip wires around bombs.

Students at two Metro Detroit schools and volunteers at Henry Ford Community College heard about troops using Silly String, and decided to help out.

Five days of collections at the college and at two schools in Dearborn -- Whitmore Bolles Elementary and O.L. Smith Middle School -- netted donations of 182 cans and $470 to buy more, said Bonnie Monroe, a human resources secretary at the college.

"We did pretty well, considering we were on such short notice," Monroe said.

It works like this: Soldiers shoot the Silly String before entering an apparently abandoned building. If the substance falls to the ground, troops can enter without fear of tripping a bomb.

"At first I was like, why do they need this? But once my mom told me they go into houses and get hit by bombs on the ground that they can't see, I'm like, 'Oh, my God, we really have to do this,' " said Jessica Slayton, 11, a sixth-grader at O.L. Smith.

"It makes me feel really happy, like I'm like volunteering for the troops."

You can reach Amy Lee at (313) 222-2548 or alee@detnews.com.


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How to help
Cans of Silly String or donations to help purchase it for U.S. troops in Iraq can be mailed to: Marcelle Shriver, c/o St. Luke Church, 55 N. Warwick Road, Stratford, NJ 08084.


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[Navy GM]

This is completely true. i'm on base and the box of silly string one of my teams carries with us is sitting right next to me. it is used to mark suspicious looking items along the roads, such as a box or something that has already been declared inert, so each team isn't stopping every time to check those things. so send as much as you can!

[Sailors_Love]

My grandma bought about 20 cans and gave em to me! lol

[tdsmom87]

I was in our local Dollar Tree yesterday and the clerk asked if I wanted to buy an item for our troops. While she was ringing up the items, she said that corporate told them to include silly string. She hadn't b/c she didn't see the need. I told her why they needed it and she said that she would be sure to include some in the boxes at the registers.
She also said that they were/are asking for those glo sticks and necklaces. Do you know why? If I can get the answer I'll pass it on to her.

[tdsmom87]

Found out the reason for the glo-sticks and necklaces! Tim said they use them when underway. They carry them w/them and should one go overboard, they crack them open and are easy to see at night in the water. He said they aren't very bright on land, but are really bright when in the water.
Who knew that two "kid" toys could be potential lifesavers!
I spoke w/our Dollar Tree manager this week and she's also including the glo-sticks and was amazed at what simple things our troops, et al, can use.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Blessings~

[cece88]

Thanks for the info. Its nice to know what these items are used for.


Cece