While the war continues in Iraq, West Virginia University student leaders are lending a hand from the homefront.

Members of Student Government Association (SGA) and Veterans of WVU are showing their support throughOperation Support Our Mountaineers.

SGA representatives will be collecting care package itemstoiletries, nonperishable food items, letter-writing material and other essentialsbeginning Monday, Feb. 7, through Friday, Feb. 11, at the Student Organization Services office in the Mountainlair.

On Wednesday, Feb. 9, a special collection will be taken at the 8 p.m. WVU -Providence mens basketball game at the WVU Coliseum. Mountaineer fans are asked to drop off $5 or more in requested items at the blue and gold gates.

As an added incentive, people who make a donation will receive a coupon offer for a $9 discounted ticket (nearly half off the price of a regular ticket) to the Sunday, Feb. 20, WVU -Seton Hall contest. The coupon is redeemable from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Mountaineer Ticket Office in the WVU Coliseum.

SGA Attorney General Dave Bonasso said he was looking for a way to show his support, and thats when he came up with the idea forOperation Support Our Mountaineers.

I have some friends who are over there (in Iraq) and a couple of friends who returned last semester, and I heard a lot of their stories,he said.We werent sure when theyd come back.

Bonasso is calling on the entire WVU community to get involved.

Student organizations, fraternities, sororities, businesses and community members are asked to contribute,he said.Several community sponsors have already stepped forward to cover the shipping costs.

The following items are needed: batteries, baby wipes, magazines, books, paper and pens, envelopes, stamps, lotion, DVDs, sunscreen, Chapstick, soap, Q-tips, razors, shampoo, male and female hygiene products, microwavable items (popcorn, Easy Mac, etc.), and crossword and word search puzzles.