Holiday Care Packages to Benefit Military Heroes and Hounds

Over 100 active military service men and women and their canine working partners will receive special holiday gifts courtesy of local volunteers.

Some U.S. troops serving in the Middle East over the holidays have been the fortunate recipients of care packages from the Simsbury Police Department for the past three years. This year approximately 120 care packages will be shipped overseas following the third annual Heroes and Hounds Military Working Dog Drive.

Items collected during the drive include books, toiletries, playing cards, and items for the service canines. Officer Mark Rudewicz, organizer of the annual drive, packed and labeled each of the boxes which will be delivered to Westover Air Force Base where they will be shipped overseas.

"This drive could not occur without the tremendous and generous support of the Town of Simsbury residents, business owners and Town employees," a Simsbury Police Department statement said.

Other generous contributions were received from Windsor Pet Food Pantry, Fidelco, the Bass Family of Meriden, employees of CitiGroup (Hartford), Horses and Hounds in Granby and a generous monetary donation from a resident of New Jersey, according to the statement.