CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Volunteers on Saturday packed thousands of CDs and DVDs for shipment to America's military in faraway, dangerous places.
Five years after Kaylee Marie Radzyminski started Tunes 4 the Troops with donated music, movies and electronic games, the program is moving to a new home.
Miss Radzyminski, who turned 19 Friday, is now an engineering student at Tennessee Technological University and an Army ROTC cadet.
Tech has adopted Tunes 4 the Troops as part of its service learning program.
"We will be hosting the next packing party at Tech," said Dr. Susan Elkins, vice president for extended programs and regional development and Tech's Service Learning Center.
Tunes 4 the Troops will have a Cleveland address for donations, she said. Rotary clubs in Chattanooga and Cookeville this year have put up $2,500 for the project, she said.
Students from Lee University and Cleveland State Community College, as well as individual volunteers, met at the Cleveland High School commons Saturday to do the packing and shipping.
New to the packing party this year, Miss Radzyminksi said, are MP3 players and iPods. The devices were donated to distribute to wounded soldiers in hospitals in war zones.
"They don't have TV so it's only what we can get for them," Miss Radzyminski said.
"For anyone donating these types of devices, please remember we also need all the cords and all those accessories too," she added.
Brandy Ball, with AmeriCorps/VISTA at Cleveland State, said service learning is part of the curriculum.
"It's been really amazing to see everybody pull together for this tremendous task," she said.
"I still keep in touch with my Army buddies and they are just dying for any communications from home," she said.
Karen Rogers, of Rockmart, Ga., and Mary Young, of Hartselle, S.C., were among Lee's Honors Program students who came out to pack.
"This is the least we can do really, to help support them where they are," Miss Young said.
"They do so much for us. By sending this stuff over there, we can help them find some entertainment and clear their minds," Miss Rogers said.