In December 2008, two Hubbard High School students started Project: Serving Soldiers to help free the minds of soldiers stationed overseas.
"My brother was getting 3-4 care packages a month, and I was thinking, 'what about the military men and women that weren't getting anything?'" said Zack Lord, one of the co-creators of Project: Serving Soldiers.
Lord said with this thought in his mind he asked his boss at his workplace if he could try something.
Lord said his experiment was asking people as they checked out if they would like to donate a game for soldiers overseas.
"We got 50 items the first day," he added.
Since that day in December 2008, Lord said he and his other collaborators on this project have sent more than 300 items overseas.
Now stashing the donated items in his girlfriend's basement until they are sent out, Lord wants residents to know that Project: Serving Soldiers is solely run by high school students with no parental involvement.
"Our parents are very proud of us, they love that we are doing this for the military," he said.
Project: Serving Soldiers collects handheld games, board games and cards, added Lord.
"We try to keep the stuff we get compact and new, because we understand that some of the soldiers travel daily," explained Lord.
Lord said he and his fellow volunteers prefer electronic games to board games.
"Mostly because some of the soldiers simply don't have the time to sit down and play board games," he added.
Lord explained that the Project: Serving Soldiers volunteers send the items to his brother, and he then distributes the items to fellow troops.
The first time we sent a box, my brother ended up finding soldiers to give the games to before he even returned to his room, he said.
"The community has been very supportive, whether it's a monetary donation or being a drop-off site for games, or referring us to someone else who can help us more.
"I'm very proud to be part of something like this, where we are going to be affecting more than 1,000 people," he said.
"We want people to know that everything we do is for the troops and that not one penny has gone to us," said Lord, "we're legit."
The four of volunteers have sacrificed so much, he said, mostly free-time.
"I don't know what free time is anymore," he joked.
Despite this, Lord said he doesn't regret this decision.
"When you can do something for somebody else, why worry about somebody else," said Lord.
"So far everything is going really well, I think it's expanding and growing," said Sean Offerdahl, co-creator of Project: Serving Soldiers.
I'd like to see the organization grow to the point where we can impact more soldiers, said Offerdahl.
An upcoming concert may help with that goal. Brandon Staley, another Project: Serving Soldiers volunteer, said the concert, named Operation Band Night, will feature five local bands, four of which are high school bands.
He said the concert will be 7 p.m. April 7 at Stambaugh Auditorium.