Silly String Shipments Stuck in States

May 28, 2007 (WPVI) -- It may sound silly, but it's saving the life of soldiers. The mother of a South Jersey soldier has been working for months to send silly string to Iraq, but is now having trouble getting it overseas.

Since November Marcelle Shriver has been collecting cans of silly string to send to her son and other military men and women stationed in Iraq. You may recall the demonstration for school children that shows how the string is used to detect nearly invisible trip wires in booby-trapped doorways.

Once word got out silly string began arriving from everywhere. Shriver says two shipments of up to 80 thousand cans were sent with help from Willow Grove Naval Air Station and Fort Dix. But now the help has seemingly dried up... this while more silly string has arrived.

It's estimated that 1000 cans of silly string are sitting stranded at Shriver's house. All of which were donated by people from around the nation.

Businessman Bruce Baelz is a friend of Shriver's and has donated the packing materials and space at his warehouse, but worries that these donations could go to waste unless they're shipped soon.

Marcelle Shriver says she's been in touch with a private company but the cost is prohibitive.

The Army says the silly string may be helpful in a small number of cases, but most casualties result from IEDs. As a result officials at Fort Dix say they will accept a small number, but suggest halting the silly string shipments.

Marcelle Shriver still wants the cargo to go over. If you can help, contact Marcelle by email at Ron101abn@comcast.net.

(Copyright 2007 by Action News and 6abc. All Rights Reserved.)

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