DONATIONS TO GO TO TROOPS IN IRAQ.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

VALENCIA - Movies, music and lip balm may seem like everyday items here, but College of the Canyons student Brianne Miller knows these simple gifts can brighten the day of any soldier in Iraq.

``It gets really dry with the wind and the sand,'' said Miller, 22, who is organizing a collection drive Tuesday. ``People my age need to not forget our soldiers. You rarely see anything unless a soldier gets killed.''

On Tuesday, Miller will set up a donation center at the college for such sundries as jerky, movie DVDs, CDs and baby wipes. The items will then be sent to Iraq in care packages through the Encino-based volunteer group Operation Gratitude.

``Getting mail is like winning the lottery,'' she said. ``The least they can do is send them junk food and snacks - things that we take for granted. ... Some of the guys broke down and bought portable DVD players so they can watch movies and escape for a few minutes.''

While the war may be over for many Americans, Miller has friends still in Iraq. They include Sgt. Brandon Quick, 21, who graduated from Canyon High School in 2000 and is now serving in Iraq with the 3rd Cavalry.

``They've been there since April and I can just hear in their voices that it's getting hard,'' she said. ``Brandon has had to bury 15 of his close friends over the past year.''

Miller also is collecting disposable cameras for the troops.

``They take pictures with their friends, what they're seeing out there,'' she said. ``It's a memory. ... A lot of the times, you don't know if that person's coming home.''

The collection is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday outside Building C at College of the Canyons, 26455 N. Rockwell Canyon Road, Valencia. Miller also will plan another collection for March if this one is successful.

Information on the event and Operation Gratitude is available at www.opgratitude.com.

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com