The third annual Singing for Soldiers will take place on January 15 at the Sunny View Elementary School located on Highway 9 in Sunny View near the Polk/Rutherford County line.

The event will feature Mike Upright who has had nearly 20 top 40 gospel songs in the last decade, including last years big hit, When I Lay My Burden Down. Upright has been nominated for the GMAs Dove Awards as well as singing at the News Fan Awards in the past. He has also been featured on many national radio and TV programs since 1999.

Also performing will be two local bluegrass groups, The Green River Boys, based in Saluda, and the Soldiers for the Cross based in Sunny View.

For admission those attending are asked to bring such items as personal size snacks, personal sized toiletries, CDs, DVDs, stationary, puzzle books, lip balm, drink mixes, etc. to be shipped to our soldiers in Iraq and Afgahnistan through chaplains based in the combat zones.

An item heavily requested by the troops via email requests has been cornhusker oil for dry, chapped hands. Monetary donations to be used for shipping costs will also be appreciated.

Organizers James Metcalf, Sherry Carney and Deb Williamson of the Singing for Soldiers events, as well as their many volunteers, have collected, boxed and shipped thousands of pounds of items to soldiers overseas in the past three years through six previous events held in different parts of Polk County.

Call 828-894-5858 for more information.