Aurora University Secretaries Ship Supplies To Soldiers

AURORA, Ill. December 20, 2006 - Aurora University students and employees are sending packages of food, personal items, and other supplies to U.S. troops in Iraq.

Dianna Bebar of Montgomery, secretary to the AU registrar, started collecting donations in September. That was when her son Ken, 27, a U.S. Army military police sergeant, was deployed to Najaf, south of Baghdad, for 12 to 18 months.

Sgt. Bebar serves as the personal guard to the commander of the 984th Military Police Company. After enlisting in 2001, he served as an MP in Korea from March 2002 until June 2003. Then he was reassigned to Fort Carson, Colo., where he was an SRT team (SWAT team) member.

An Aurora native, he is a 1998 graduate of Shabbona’s Indiana Creek High School. He attended AU from 1998 to 2001.

His family includes his wife, Melonie, and sons, Collin, 7, and Kaleb, 2. The couple is expecting a baby in January 2007.

In November, his mother shipped 11 boxes of items collected by sixth grade Girl Scout troop 142 at Aurora’s Holy Angels Elementary School to Ken’s platoon. Eileen Trnka, an AU secretary, is the troop leader and invited Scouts to donate.

Marianne Wilkinson, secretary at AU’s School of Social Work, has filled three boxes with donations from students and employees. Shipment is scheduled for this month.

“Deployed about seven hours south of Baghdad,” Dianna Bebar said, “Ken’s company does not have access to a PX. Soldiers usually order supplies online and pay for them out of pocket, which is expensive.”

She has been packing boxes with various items and sending at least a box weekly, more boxes if funds allow.

“Some people donated cash for shipping expenses, and that has helped out a lot,” Bebar said.

According to his mom, Ken and his fellow soldiers have enjoyed the supplies shipped to date.

His mother continues to collect items. They include candy, gum, other nonperishable food packages, books, puzzles, cards, q-tips, lotion, used books, alkaline batteries, DVDs, and CDs.

Dianna Bebar invites the public to bring donations to the AU Registrar’s office at Eckhart Hall, 347 S. Gladstone Ave. in Aurora. Call (630) 844-5460 for information.

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