Giving up Backstreet Boys for the troops... [article]

Or rather their CD....and I know the troops will be happy to that thrilled lol




Music, movie collection benefits troops



March 29, 2009
BY KENDRICK MARSHALL kmarshall@scn1[dot]com





Kylie Hartness will have to give up her Backstreet Boys CD. Although the 20-year-old loves the group, Hartness knows not being able to listen to the group will help entertain others thousands of miles away.



Hartness, 2008 Miss Lindenhurst, along with Junior Miss and Little Miss Lindenhurst assisted in giving and collecting CDs and DVDs for the Tunes 4 the Troops program at Chase Bank, 2030 E. Grand Ave., Saturday afternoon.



Since 2005, Tunes 4 the Troops has collected music and movies from 200 satellite locations across the country to be shipped to soldiers stationed overseas.



The organization was founded by 17-year-old Kaylee Radzyminski of Tennessee when she was 14 after she attended a naval camp in Florida.



There, she asked cadets what was one of the things they missed about not being in America. Their response was few opportunities to listen to the latest music, CDs and watch movies.



She found out that in most cases, troops had to rotate a small selection of music and movies among various units.



Hearing and reading about what Radzyminski did for troops inspired Hartness to do the same.



"The troops need all the support we can give them, so we are hoping this helps," said Hartness who has a boyfriend in the Navy. "I know it can be tough for them and their families being away from home."



Area residents stepped up to the plate Saturday and donated all types of music and movies into drop boxes located inside the bank.



Everything from jazz, to rap and country were collected, and movies ranged from slapstick comedy to horror flicks.



Abby Austill, 9, Little Miss Lindenhurst, even was able to get her father to donate his Willie Nelson CD.



"We try to donate to people all the time," Austill said, who is also a student at B.J. Hooper School where donations were also being collected. "We also raise money and donate to charity. The troops protect our country so we have to help them."



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