MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Marines wondering what to do with old Marine Pattern digital camouflage uniforms got their answer from volunteers at The Great Escape.
Hayley Denissen, a recreation aid with The Great Escape, used hundreds of unserviceable MARPAT uniforms to create stockings, pillowcases, blankets and toys.
Denissen is shipping MARPAT stockings, stuffed with various toiletries and gifts, and blankets to Marines deployed in Afghanistan. Families of deployed Marines can pick up the remaining gifts, like purses, toys and pillowcases for use on the home front.
“It’s a little part of daddy or mommy,” said Denissen.
Families with deployed spouses can pick up mementos of their loved ones at The Great Escape anytime.
Denissen organized about 50 volunteers from several churches and elementary schools to help sew the different MARPAT accessories and donate phone cards, toiletries and snacks for the care packages going to Afghanistan.
“There’s a lot of stuff in there that Marines can use, and the use of [camouflage] is cool,” said Lance Cpl. Steven Froehlich, a crew chief with Marine Tiltrotor Squadron 161 and one of the volunteers. “Marines are going to love this stuff.”
While care packages have been a staple of military deployments for years, the creative use of MARPAT material offers a new presentation.
“We’re trying to do more interesting things for care packages,” said Denissen.
Denissen plans to ship the care packages to Afghanistan using the http://anymarine.com, a service volunteers use to send personalized care packages to deployed Marines.
Volunteers like Denissen select an individual Marine or unit based on the needs of the Marines. Marines registered on the website provide a description of their unit and a “wish list” from the potential recipients.
There is another crate of donated MARPAT camouflage waiting for volunteers to transform it into anything they can imagine.
“We’ve already started for next year,” said Denissen. She explained that the volunteers are asking for prepaid international phone cards, first-aid kits and travel-size toiletries to fill the care packages.
For more information, contact Hayley Denissen at The Great Escape, (858) 577-6171.