CASCO TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- Looking to do something good for injured soldiers while celebrating its 150th anniversary, St. James United Church of Christ found the answer in altered undergarments -- at the altar.
Members of the St. Clair County church plan to bring forward 150 modified boxer shorts Sunday for a blessing. The undershorts, which have been altered for soldiers who have to wear prosthetics or braces on their legs, ultimately will make their way to Veterans Affairs hospitals nationwide.
"Without these, a lot of (service members) have to go without and live in hospital gowns, Kris Dombrowski, who helped lead the effort, told the Times Herald of Port Huron for a story published Saturday.
The boxer shorts first will go to an Ohio distribution center of Sew Much Comfort, a national volunteer group founded in December 2004 that adapts clothing for wounded troops.
Although any clothing item can be customized, about 15 women at St. James focused on altering boxer shorts for eight weeks. Dombrowski said the alteration is a basic maneuver: open the side seam of the shorts and replace the seam with a fabric fastener for easy access.
"I thought if we stuck with one thing, I figured we could do it, and do it good," Dombrowski said. "And if you have the need for special pants, you have the need for special boxer shorts."