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Many of us will spend this Fourth of July weekend on boats or in swimming pools, eating something off the grill and otherwise relaxing with our families.

But there are some who did not get an extra day off work.

There are some who will observe this 234th anniversary of the birth of our nation in faraway places where there is no time to relax, where there are no celebrations, no parades, no cookouts. The only fireworks they will see will be from enemy fire.

And then there are some, like Kathy Orcutt, who will also work through this holiday. Her mission is not to fight but to heal. She organized HUGS for Our Troops, a nonprofit whose mission is simply to serve our troops currently deployed overseas.

This is one of her busiest weekends.

She has mailed Fourth of July cards, created by Heritage Middle School students. She is collecting and shipping bags of hygiene items. She is mailing cases and cases of chewing gum — yes, chewing gum.

Orcutt recently collected some 5,000 packs of sugar-free chewing gum to send to soldiers in Afghanistan. She worked with three area Food Lion stores to collect the gum in just two weeks.

“It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” explained Orcutt. Soldiers had requested the gum; the stores wanted to sell more gum; and the stores’ shoppers wanted to do something — even something as small as donating a pack of chewing gum — to help support American troops.

Collecting candy bars

Orcutt’s organization focuses on soldiers’ requests routinely and holds area drives to secure the items. Currently 10 area Food Lion stores, including all three in Maryville, are collecting candy bars. These candy bars will be put in “Farewell” bags that will be given to deploying soldiers from Fort Campbell.

Area youth decorated the bags, including students at Alcoa Middle School, Union Grove Middle School, Carpenter’s Middle School, Fort Craig After School Care and the Little River Girl Scout Unit of Blount County.

Orcutt said if enough candy bars were collected, she would also use them to fill “Welcome Home” bags for single soldiers. Those with no nearby family often return home to an empty barracks — something Orcutt cannot allow.

“Sometimes folks forget that there are hometown boys in those units,” said Orcutt. “You never know when you’re going to reach someone from right there in your own back yard.”

Hygiene items requested

In addition to the candy bars and the chewing gum, both novelties really, Orcutt is collecting something a little more serious. She has received a request from a Forward Surgical Team, a medical unit that first treats wounded soldiers, for hygiene items.

The unit would like hygiene items including soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and a toothbrush placed in quart-size bags that can be sealed and placed on a gurney with a wounded soldier so that when that soldier gets to a bigger medical facility, he or she will have basic care items.

So over the next few days, as you celebrate the Fourth of July running in and out of stores to pick up last minute bags of ice or charcoal, Orcutt is hoping you might also buy one extra candy bar or travel-sized bottle of shampoo that she can send to a soldier. As she sees it, there is no better way to celebrate this nation than by honoring its soldiers.