WATERLOO -- It's a week before Halloween. The frost is barely on the pumpkin.

But Kai Knipper and his Orange Elementary School second-grade classmates already are working on Christmas-season cards and decorations.

That's because those items have a long way to travel. In Kai's case, his is going halfway around the world to a place where there is much more sand than snow.

Kai's working on something for his Uncle Brad -- Iowa Army National Guard Sgt. Brad Schaver of North Liberty, whose serving with the Cedar Rapids-based 234th Signal Battalion near Tikrit, Iraq.

Kai and his classmates are the "first wave" in another "Iowa's Bravest" campaign, spearheaded by a 20-member committee of union and nonunion employees of John Deere's Waterloo operations, including members of the military veterans committee of United Auto Workers Local 838. About half the committee members are Vietnam veterans.

The Deere workers, supported by community volunteers and businesses, are assembling care packages ranging from basic essentials, like toiletries, to snacks and other treats. The goods will be distributed to Iowa-connected U.S. military personnel in or near Iraq and Afghanistan, focusing primarily on war-torn areas.

This past spring, after war in Iraq began, the group raised more than $14,000 in cash and in-kind contributions and mailed boxes to 185 military personnel with Cedar Valley ties.

This time, the packages will contain a little more because of the holiday season, said Deere employee Julie Ehlers, an Iowa's Bravest committee organizer.

"Some of us are going to make each soldier a stocking with their name on it for their tent," Ehlers said. "We're trying to come up with some ideas to make the box special for the holidays."

Ehlers said the packages will contain much more than food this time.

"We hear they are looking for things to entertain themselves with during their off times, so we're going to try and include things like hand-held games, like poker, blackjack or solitaire, baseball, football, Frisbee, paddleball, crossword puzzle books, magazines, playing cards and dice and anything else we can dream up. It will also contain a calling card that they can use to call their families for the holidays," she said.

"We're really hoping to give our soldiers a small piece of home in every box," Ehlers said. "Hopefully we will bring them some joy and a smile to their face as well.

"This time we wanted to get more of our Cedar Valley community members involved, and we think we've been pretty successful so far," she said. About $8,700 in cash donations has been raised so far.

More than 34 eastern Iowa businesses and organizations are involved. The list includes employees at Deere, Viking Pump, the John Deere Community Credit Union, Principal Financial Group, Courier and Black Hawk County Sheriff's Department. East High School junior ROTC cadets, union retirees, veterans groups and service organizations also are getting involved.

Items have been donated by Quaker Oats, Wonder Bread, ConAgra, Isle of Capri, Tyson Fresh Meats, local dentists and the Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball team. Many Northeast Iowa schools also are helping.

Radio stations KCRR 97.7 FM Classic Rock in Waterloo and KCVM Mix 96 FM in Cedar Falls are recording special programs to send.

The committee is raising funds to purchase items for the boxes until Friday. Nearly $8,100 has been raised. Donations are being accepted at John Deere Community Credit Union.

The group also is accepting names of military personnel to send boxes to until Friday.

"We have about 100 men and women on our list so far," Ehlers said.

People can call Ehlers at 292-7319 with names and addresses of family members serving in the Iraq/Afghanistan areas during the holidays.

"We are focusing on the war-torn areas first, but if funds will allow, we also will accept names for soldiers in the other overseas areas as well," Ehlers said.

The boxes will be assembled at 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at UAW Local 838 hall, 2615 Washington St. The public is welcome to attend. Postal Service volunteers will be there to help with taping and labeling.

"Now the trick will be stuffing it all in the box," Ehlers said. "I guess if we have to … we'll get bigger boxes."