One Way Every Day: October 15 - Tunes 4 the Troops

Kaylee Marie Radzyminski wanted to make a difference! She wanted to provide entertainment for our troops overseas. She never dreamed her simple idea would inspire a national movement.

As an 8th Grader, while attending the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet camp in Florida, Kaylee asked one question to troops returning from overseas military service. It was their answer that spurred the teen into action. "I asked, 'What was the number one thing they missed?' " recalls Kaylee. "The first thing was, of course, their families -but second to that was entertainment." They described limited access to Internet and satellite service, with some soldiers sharing just a few DVDs or CDs with an entire unit. When Kaylee returned home, she gathered her CDs and DVDs to send to the troops and Tunes 4 the Troops was born.

Kaylee never dreamed her simple idea would become a nationwide effort, but the reaction from the first few shipments touched the teenager so deeply, she knew she couldn't stop. Kaylee said, "It really hit me when we started hearing back from soldiers, and how it affected their lives. Some of them were losing fellow soldiers in combat, and they said gestures like this really helped get their mind off of things. It makes me cry just thinking about it."

As word spread outside of Cleveland High School, folks all over the nation pitched in, donating CD's, cash, or shipping supplies. Kaylee's work was all volunteer, but she was awarded a full four year army ROTC scholarship to Tennessee Tech.

Kaylee estimates she's spent more than 6,000 hours on the project, and admits that's she missed the proms, the athletic events and social activities that make up most of a teenage girl's calendar. Does she have any regrets? "Now that I look back on it, I wouldn't change a thing," she says. "It wasn't about me, it was affecting other people in a positive way." "My mission is not about supporting or opposing the war, it's about supporting the troops," says Radzyminski, whose own family has a military background. "They sacrifice so much for us, why can't I do a little bit to give back to them?"

As this youthful role model advances toward graduation and a career in the Army Corps of Engineers, what happens to the project that remains so close to her heart? She's happy to report that it isn't going away. Tunes 4 the Troops has actually partnered with the Service learning Center at the university," she says. "So the students and faculty will definitely be able to continue it after my graduation date."

Kaylee tells us she will be thrilled to some day get a box of CDs from whoever takes the reins of Tunes 4 the Troops when she is serving America.

As of September 1st, 2010, Tunes 4 the Troops has sent over 759,280 CD's, DVD's and Books on CD to our Troops! Kaylee has a goal of 1 million sent by 2011! Can you help Kaylee reach this goal?

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