After four months of planning and thousands of dollars raised, the organizing committee for Operation Make a Soldier Smile in DuPont capped three nights of care package assembly last night at the fire station off Center Drive.

Volunteers showed up at 6:30 p.m. and assembled 600 boxes in three hours — packing each with toiletries, books, DVDs, candy, snacks, playing cards and more.  The event followed on the heels of two other packing events, last Thursday, and Nov. 10.

In all, 1,300 care packages have been sent, mostly to soldiers serving in the 5th Stryker Brigade.  After Thanksgiving, OMASS organizers will determine how much money is left after their vigorous campaign to raise dollars and care package items to see if they can conduct another care package assembly in December.

PHOTOS BY J.M. SIMPSON