UND Students Receive Holiday Support Through Care Packages

On November 21, 2003, the University of North Dakota (UND) community mobilized to support its students deployed in Iraq through a charitable initiative organized by Operation UND Campus Friends. This group is set to send holiday greeting cards and 600-minute calling cards to 110 students currently serving overseas.

The initiative will take place on December 2, when greeting cards will be available for students to sign from 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in several campus locations, including Memorial Union and Gamble, Wilkerson, and Odegard halls. The cards will also be accessible during the Lighting of the Green Ceremony at 5:00 p.m. the same day in front of the Memorial Union.

Since January 2003, a total of 110 UND students have been deployed to support operations in Iraq. To foster a sense of connection and community, Operation UND Campus Friends convened recently to brainstorm ways to provide support for these students. The group plans to send holiday cards, each accompanied by a 600-minute calling card, allowing students to communicate with loved ones back home.

In addition to the greeting cards, there will be a collection box for monetary donations at the signing locations and during the UND craft fair on December 5. All contributions will be allocated towards the cards, calling cards, and postage costs.

Enclosed with the holiday cards will be a personal letter from Charles Kupchella, President of UND, and Adam Baker, the Student Body President. Their messages aim to uplift the spirits of the deployed students during the holiday season.

Operation UND Campus Friends was established in March 2003 by Adele Kupchella, the president’s wife, alongside Lillian Elsinga, UND’s Dean of Students. This collaborative effort includes representatives from various campus organizations, including fraternities, sororities, student housing, and student government.

Looking ahead, Operation UND Campus Friends is set to reconvene in January to discuss the logistics of sending care packages for Valentine’s Day, ensuring that the support for deployed students continues beyond the holiday season.