Under a slew of military flags, banners and pictures of troops, volunteers at Cal Expo collected care package donations Friday. They were members of the Defenders of Freedom a local nonprofit organization that assists servicemembers and their families. Toiletries, games and DVD's were among the most requested items by troops serving around the country and overseas. The items were being assembled into care packages for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Both my sons serve in the Army," said Maria Elena Szlachciuk, founder of Defenders of Freedom. "These items, combined with letters and cards, can lift a soldier's morale." The California chapter was founded in 2007 after a similar chapter s

Stephen Kellogg is not the type to brag about sharing the stage with Melissa Etheridge and hanging out with Carly Simon, James Taylor and Jimmy Buffett. In fact, the musician never mentioned it in his interview with The Sacramento Press. Kellogg's favorite moment in his 15-year musical career wasn't even playing music. It was a humbling moment watching the drummer in his band help a soldier in the Middle East. "In Kuwait this past spring, we met this Army Ranger shipping out that night for Afghanistan," Kellogg said. "He was hanging out, listening to us play, and it came up that he played banjo. Boots, the drummer from our band, who also plays banjo, gave his banjo to the Army Ranger. It