news-record.com

Students and restaurants want the public's help tonight to kick off a fund raising project for U.S. troops and children in Afghanistan.

Oak Ridge Elementary School and Oak Ridge Military Academy are sending care packages and letters to the soldiers. Afghan children will receive stuffed bears, shoes and school supplies. The project is called Flight of Hugs.

For tonight's Dine-in for Peace event, nine restaurants will donate 7 percent of proceeds to the project, and students will set up 800 luminarias in the Oak Ridge Commons shopping center.

The participating restaurants, also in the Oak Ridge Commons shopping center, are Elizabeth's Pizza, Bill's Pizza Pub, J.P.Looney's, Bistro 150, Rio Grande, Kobe, Wendy's, Subway and McDonald's.

The luminarias will be lit just before dusk, probably about 6 p.m.

Marcy Cook, whose daughter attends Oak Ridge Elementary, organized the project to coincide with the eighth anniversary of the war in Afghanistan. Her 19-year-old nephew was deployed there last month with the 82nd Airborne Division.

She said she wants the project to support the soldiers and children and unite the Oak Ridge community in a positive effort. She also wants people to question U.S. efforts in Afghanistan after eight years.

"We are at a crossroads," Cook said. "It's time for people to think about how they feel about it."

Students will collect care-package items until Veteran's Day on Nov. 11. Those items, as well as cards and letters, will be accepted tonight at the old book store location next to Blockbuster in Oak Ridge.

Monetary donations can be made to the Flight of Hugs account at the Bank of Oak Ridge.

People who want to register a deployed soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq to receive a package should send an e-mail with the soldier's name and shipping information to fosterm@gcsnc.com.

Items needed for the care packages include baby wipes, tissues, hand sanitizer, toiletries, lip balm, mini bottles of sunscreen, lotion, first aid items, beef jerky, energy bars and granola bars (and other wrapped snacks), candy, playing cards, CDs, DVDs, word puzzles, white socks, batteries and small LED flashlights.

Do not include the outer packaging of items, meltable chocolate, liquids, homebaked goods or oversize items. Soap bars must be double bagged.

Contact Jamie Kennedy Jones at jamie.kennedy@news-record.com or 449-4610.