You know, I think I fall into a trap all too often thinking "There's no good news today. How can I tell others about great news when there just isn't any?" I need to adjust my thinking, pronto. There IS great news out there and I found something that fits the bill perfectly. Ever heard of Don Downer of Columbia, Maryland? If not, you need to know who he is!

The 82-year-old Downer is dedicating an incredible amount of time and effort (and money) to provide care packages to U.S. troops overseas. He's kicked things into high gear at the moment, considering that hundreds of thousands of American troops will spend the holidays away from home.Since 2008, Don Downer, a World War II veteran himself, has been putting together great care packages for troops serving overseas. What began as an effort to help a neighbor who was serving in Iraq with a package grew quickly. Downer makes a point to contact commanding officers, asking for the names of soldiers who don't get a lot of packages. Then he fills box after box with goodies, including wool hats, books, candy and Spam. Yes, you read that correctly: Spam! When Downer was a soldier overseas, his own mother sent him care packages with homemade goodies and cans of Spam. The tradition continues!

And Downer's nickname? The "Spam Czar," what else?

Friends say Downer constantly has to restock so he can keep the packages going out and so far, he's spent about $50 thousand of his own money on the project. If you'd like to learn more about Don's project and help out, you can visit his official webpage, GoDonGo.com. Thank you, Don Downer, for everything you're doing for our troops!