PHOTO: Dog Guards Dead Victim's Body After Oklahoma Tornado Disaster
Man Reportedly Beheaded In Brutal Assault In London Neighborhood
The founder of Tunes 4 the Troops is 19-year-old Kaylee Radzyminski, a student on ROTC scholarship at Tennessee Tech University. She started the nonprofit five years ago, when she was just a freshman in high school. She got the idea for it after attending a U.S. Naval Sea Cadet camp in Florida, where she came in contact with a number of soldiers returning from overseas duty.
"I asked, What was the No. 1 thing they missed?'" Radzyminski told CNN. "The first thing was, of course, their families. But second to that was entertainment."
When Radzyminski returned from the camp to her hometown of Cleveland, Tenn., she immediately packed up a bunch of her old CDs and DVDs to ship to the troops. Then she enlisted the help of her friends and local community, putting donation boxes at football games, churches and neighborhood events. Her school, Cleveland High School, pitched in by setting up an account to manage financial donations for disc purchases, packing supplies and shipping expenses.
Since those humble beginnings, Tunes 4 the Troops has evolved into a national organization with 800 satellite locations. It is now headquartered at Tennessee Tech's Service Learning Center.
"When I first started Tunes 4 the Troops in high school, I missed out on a lot because I was packing boxes all the time," Radzyminski told Tennessee Tech's student newspaper, The Oracle. "Now that I'm here, the Service [Learning] Center has played a huge role in keeping everything up. I'm able to relax and be a college student."
At Saturday's shipping party, the 1 millionth CD was the latest Lynyrd Skynyrd album, "God & Guns." To mark the milestone, Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Mark Matejka signed and packed the CD into the final box himself.
Sponsored Links
"Lynyrd Skynyrd is a huge supporter of our troops," Matejka told The Oracle. "Having the honor to sign the 1 millionth [CD] is quite a privilege.Since its founding, Tunes 4 the Troops has shipped over $17 million worth of CDs and DVDs to troops in combat zones and military hospitals around the world. Over the past five years, Radzyminski has put in over 7,000 hours working to make the nonprofit a success, missing out on many typical teenage experiences. But when asked, she says she wouldn't change a thing.
"No way," she told the Cleveland Daily Banner. "I would do it all over again, knowing how many lives I've touched here at home and overseas. It was so worth it all."
Obama To Address Drones, Gitmo
Killed Soldier In London Attack Identified
Tom Coburn Ratchets Down Opposition To Tornado Relief Bill
Brave Woman Stood Down Armed London Attackers
Pelosi Blames Bush For Major Scandal
WATCH: Jon Stewart Shuts Down Bill O'Reilly
Discredited Economist Blasts Back
A Hard Recovery Predicted For Moore
Eight Men Consider Bill To Restrict Women's Reproductive Rights
This Teen Girl Is A Social Network's Worst Nightmare -- And Best Hope
John Boehner On Immigration: We'll Do It, But 'Don't Ask Me How'
Senate Rejects Plan To Label Genetically Modified Food
Too-Big-To-Jail Dogs Obama's Justice Department
Boy Scouts To Vote On Allowing Gay Members
LOOK: Obama Prom Photos Released
Murkowski Pours Cold Water On Possible Palin Comeback
The Most Popular Country In The World Is...
Cuomo: 'Shame On Us' If Weiner Elected Mayor
Has Anyone Seen Daisy?
Abercrombie & Fitch: Sorry!
WATCH: Police Force Shows Up To Support 5-Year-Old Who Lost Her Dad
London Suspects Had Previously Been Investigated
Pope Francis Says All Who Do Good Are Redeemed - Atheists Included
'Corruption Of Blood' Bill Would Convict Lawbreakers' Kin
Officer Accused Of Michelle Obama Threat: It Was A Joke
3D-Printed Bullets Are Terrifyingly Easy To Make
You Just KNEW There Would Be 'Tornado Truthers,' Didn't You?
Bangladesh Garment Industry Traded Workplace Safety For Jobs
A Merger Could Be On The Horizon For This Major Retailer
