Operation Christmas Child Shoe BoxSeveral organizations in Luverne are participating in Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box.Operation Christmas Shoe Box gives people the opportunity to collect items for kids around the world who might not otherwise get a Christmas present.The program is a project of Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham.In Rock County, the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Home, The Oaks, American Reformed Church, Christian Reformed Church, New Life Celebration, Steen Reformed Church and the Kenneth/Adrian Lutheran Churches are participating in the project.If you would like to participate, here are the items they would like you to collect for your box.--Toys: small cars, dolls, stuffed animals, yo-yos, balls, jump ropes--School supplies: pens, pencils, markers, tablets, coloring books--Hygiene items: toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, combs, soap--Other: hard candy, mints, gum, socks, sunglasses, hair clips, watches--Do not include:chocolate, liquids such as shampoo, breakable items such as mirrors.If your church is not one of the participants, you can pick up a shoe box from Nancy Kaczrowski at the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Home or call her at 283-2375Luverne is in the Upper Midwest region, for the project, which consists of Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa.Last year Operation Christmas Child collected 180,435 shoe boxes in the Upper Midwest Region, and these boxes were then sent to children in Estonia, Kazakhastan, Tajikistan, Angola, Armenia, Romania, Belarus, Ukraine, Bosnia, Rwanda, Moldova, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Lithuania, Macedonia, and South Africa.In 2002, the program collected over 6 million shoe boxes worldwide and distributed them to children in about 95 countries.Cub Scouts double their food shelf collectionThe recent Cub Scout food shelf drive was a big success, collecting 1,097 pounds of food and 36 pairs of old eye glasses.That more than doubles the amount of food collected during their drive last year.According to local leader, Patti Aubert, 19 local Cub Scouts participated.Highway 60 is finally openThose that find themselves making a trek to the Twin Cities on a regular basis, will be happy to hear the last four-lane segment of Highway 60 is completed.This segment, which was the Heron Lake bypass, makes Highway 60 from Worthington to Windom all four-lane.The Heron Lake project was 8.4 miles long and cost $14 million.The project has been under construction since September 2001.The Windom to Wilder section was constructed in 1994; the Worthington to Brewster piece was completed in 1997; and Brewster to Heron Lake was done in 2001.Blood Drive set for Nov. 13If you would like to donate some life-giving blood, the Community Blood Bank Bloodmobile will have a blood drive in Luverne on Thursday, Nov. 13.The drive will be at the Luverne Community Hospital from noon to 6 p.m.If you would like to make an appointment, contact the Luverne Community Hospital at 283-2321, ext. 224.Want to send a Christmas greeting to a soldier?If anyone would like to send a greeting to one of the deployed soldiers from our local unit, you can do so by sending it toAny SoldierPSC 41, Box 9000APO AE 09464If you have a specific soldier you would like to get your greeting to just insert their name in place of "any soldier."If you have any questions about reaching them, contact John Swanson, Battery A, I-125 Field Artillery, 507-283-4403.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com
