PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon woman who organizes support for soldiers overseas is trying to let them have a little fun with the outdoor ornament known as garden gnomes.
RaeLynn Ricarte of The Dalles is the mother of a Marine and president of the Gorge Heroes Club, which organizes drives to send cards, letters and packages to the troops.
She told The Oregonian she saw a television commercial featuring a roaming garden gnome and, impulsively, ran down to a store and bought 15 of them.
Her idea was to send them to troops with connections to the Columbia River Gorge — including Marines in Afghanistan and Oregon Army National Guard soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
