On December 1 and December 2 several McConnell Scholars, including myself, hosted a fundraiser to benefit the men and women in our armed forces. With help from family, friends, and UofL students and staff, we were able to raise almost $500. With this money we will be assembling care packages and shipping them out this coming week. I'm very pleased to say that some of the items we buy will be going to Freshman McConnell Scholar Andrew Stewart's father and stepmother, both of whom are currently serving our country in Afghanistan. I'm also happy to announce that part of our donations will go to the Support for Overseas Students Program (SOS), which was created by former McConnell Scholar Jordan Glover to help support local Afghan children. Jordan Glover is also currently stationed in Afghanistan. Many thanks to everyone who contributed!I cannot begin to express how fulfilling this service experience was for me. It was extremely rewarding to sacrifice a little time and money for the men and women who sacrifice so much for me and my country daily. Because of the longevity of the War on Terror, we sometimes take for granted the sacrifices these men and women continue to make. We must remember, freedom isn't free.