WATERLOO -- From Cub Scouts to John Deere workers, from Waterloo to Cedar Falls, from union members to business owners, the Cedar Valley shared one thought with local troops:

Thank you.

Volunteers said it more than 450 times Thursday night, preparing that many appreciation packages for shipment to soldiers over the holidays and beyond.

In what is becoming a tradition since the Iraq war began, several hundred people with the Iowa's Bravest project gathered at United Auto Workers Local 838 hall on the eve of Veterans Day. They packed gift boxes with snacks, toiletries, household items, video games, a recording of a local radio show, Christmas cards from school kids -- and added a lot of love..

Some 125 boxes will go to members of the U.S. Marine Reserve C Battery, which is based in Waterloo. The soldiers have been deployed to Iraq.

More than 200 other boxes are will go to members of the Iowa Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, which is also based in Waterloo. The Ironman Battalion is training in Mississippi for eventual deployment to Iraq.

Among the volunteers were veterans and family members of deployed troops, who know all too well the price and pain of separation and are grateful for the community support.

"This is very little, what we're doing. If we can make their Christmas a little happier, so be it," said Jill Rizner, who works in the human resources department at John Deere.

"It's amazing all this stuff will fit in those boxes," Rizner added.

A packaging assembly line snaked through the main auditorium at the union hall. Iowa's Bravest co-organizer Julie Ehlers and her group, which began with UAW and nonunion Deere workers, have turned out more than 700 gift boxes since the war began in 2003. That was prior to the 450 sent out Thursday.

"I'm a veteran and I appreciate what those boys and girls are doing for us, and this is a very small way to pay them back," said Bill Miller, a member of the UAW Veterans Committee.

The number of needed boxes increased steadily as loved ones of troops contacted Iowa's Bravest.

"The names keep coming in, and we try to do what we can," Miller said.

His stepgrandson, Brandon Miller, is a U.S. Marine and served on the Iraqi-Syrian border. He recently returned to Camp Le Jejune in North Carolina but is scheduled to go to Baghdad in June.

Chad Hoffman, an Army reservist who served in Iraq, got packages from Iowa's Bravest.

He said the boxes are important because " … when a soldier gets mail from family, and especially from people like this, to know that you all support them and that the people in the community supports them."

Hockey players from the Waterloo Black Hawks also helped, like forward Zach Bearson.

"I know a few kids I went to school with at West High last year are in the reserves or have gone to the service," he said.

For some, the packaging event was an emotional experience. Connie Sauerbrei and daughter, Nicole Pierce, weren't there just for Lance Cpl. Billy Pierce. The Waterloo reservist and Nicole's husband is serving in Iraq.

"We're here for every troop, no matter Marine, Army, Navy. They're all our boys out there, and they need to know that we support them in everything they do over there," Sauerbrei said.

Nicole Pierce wore a pink T-shirt that read, "My Man is a U.S. Marine." The couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary Sept. 11 in California, where he was stationed prior to deployment.

"I'm very proud of him for what he's doing," Nicole said. "I miss him. But he's doing his job."

She was pleased by Thursday's turnout.

"I'm happy to see that there's actually people who actually care about him and all the other guys who are out there in the service for us -- people out there worth fighting for," she said.

Reservist Hoffman, back for more than a year, expects to return to Iraq.

"The way this is keeping up, I'm sure a second tour is pretty much coming," he said.

Which is why keeping projects like Iowa's Bravest going is important.

"There's nothing like getting a box of goodies of really good stuff, like phone cards, cameras, even socks, a lot of candy, odds and ends," he said.

While soldiers receive packages from other sources, "the hometown thing is really unique about this," Hoffman said.

"It's from people that you know, that are from home. This is from Iowa … "

More than 40,000 pieces are included in the boxes.

"Many of these items were donated, which was a huge help. Postage costs will be close to $6,000," Ehlers said.

"As this war continues, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get people as interested in the cause as they once were in the beginning," Ehlers added. "Even with that challenge, our community stepped up to the plate and did a great job in supporting our project this year, which was wonderful to see."

Contact Pat Kinney at (319) 291-1484 or pat.kinney@wcfcourier.com.

How to help:

The community can help Iowa's Bravest and support soldiers year round by purchasing Support Our Troops flags. Proceeds go toward Iowa's Bravest gift packages for troops. Flag orders are taken by Barb Dunakey and Julie Ehlers. For information, call Dunakey at (319) 235-0427 or e-mail barbtimd@mchsi.com. Iowa's Bravest is also looking for classrooms to adopt a soldier next year so students can correspond. The effort is designed to provide a learning experience for the class and letters for the troops.