Fundraiser for soldiers held by local group comes up short

In response to a soldier in Kuwait asking in 2004 why troops have to dig through landfills to find necessary materials, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said: "You have to go to war with the army you have, not the army you want," according to CNN.com. \nTwo years later, some of Indiana's own soldiers are still without necessary tools.\nThe Lutheran Campus Ministries at IU held "Sockets for Soldiers" on Saturday to help remedy this problem but unfortunately did not raise as much as it wanted. The group erected a tent, put up signs in the Assembly Hall parking lot and had camouflage-colored balloons blowing in the wind, but most people who came by were asking for directions.\nThe group raised about $350 and five new tools, which was below the goal of getting five new tools for each of Indiana's eight soldiers in Mosul, Iraq.\nMorissa Moore, an IU junior and peer minister for the group, organized the event.\n"I was disappointed that more people didn't show up, but I have faith in this community," Moore said.\nThis faith helps Moore believe more will donate in the future, she said, because soldiers are still in need of tools.\nDemocratic candidate for the 9th District of the U.S. House of Representatives Baron Hill and former Sen. Birch Bayh were supposed to attend, according to a press release from Baron Hill's spokeswoman Melanie Morris. However, neither politician showed up. The Lutheran Campus Ministries had extended an invitation to Rep. Mike Sodrel, R-9th, as well but got no response.\n"I wonder if it's worse that Baron Hill said he would show up and didn't or Sodrel not even responding," Moore said jokingly.\nA friend in Iraq inspired Moore to plan this drive, she said.\n"I correspond with a soldier in Iraq and found out that they were in need of tools," Moore said.\nShe organized the event through the Lutheran Campus Ministries, which is a group of students on campus and attached to St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Bloomington. These students, led by Moore, did everything from setting up in the Assembly Hall parking lot to advertising it around town.\nThe soldier with whom Moore corresponds is in Mosul right now and is part of the National Guard unit from Indiana and was called to serve after his freshman year at IU. \nLutheran Campus Ministries minister Jeff Schacht calls the lack of tools a "safety" issue that should have been solved a long time ago.\nSchacht said he was very happy to help organize the fundraiser, which he said gives to an important cause.\n"This is not about the war," Schacht said. "People should always be evaluating why a country is at war when it is at war, but this is an issue of equipping soldiers who aren't equipped. We can put a Band-Aid on it now and help raise awareness."\nAmong the people to show up to the drive was a few Bloomington residents, including IU Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs Richard McKaig.\n"I have no sockets in my repertoire, but cash I have," McKaig said. "I am happy to help out."\nOthers, including Dave Pavolka, a retired music teacher living in Bloomington, donated tools. Pavolka, who is on the board of directors at the Lutheran Campus Ministries church, donated a ratchet set, including electric wire cutters and Allen wrenches.\n"My dad and brother were mechanics," Pavolka said. "I'm contributing three-fourths of these tools that I don't use anyway."\nThe Lutheran Campus Ministries is still accepting monetary donations and tools such as ratchet wrenches, hex head sockets, standard crowfeet sets, cordless drills and bits and standard tap and die sets. For more information, call 333-2474.