Veterans Day may be over for another year, but at least one moreceremony to honor local servicemen remains.

The region-spanning Ole Brook Wind Symphony will join theEasthaven Baptist Church choir Tuesday night for a performance insong dedicated to the many servicemen from Southwest Mississippicurrently deployed overseas. Apart from dedicating the more thanone hour-long concert to servicemen’s families, the event will alsoserve as a goods drive to gather the pleasantries and necessitiesthat help make extended stays in places like Iraq and Afghanistan alittle more pleasant.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Easthaven.

Symphony director Dr. Jim Brewer said the idea to perform apatriotic show came from within. In September, the band beganrehearsing “Homeward Bound,” a song about servicemen coming homefrom abroad containing lyrics of soldiers thinking aloud abouttheir future plans in America.

“That kind of triggered my thoughts,” Brewer said. “‘HomewardBound’ became kind of a thought that maybe we could just use thisconcert to honor the troops and their families.”

The symphony will be performing a mix of patriotic, religiousand family-oriented material, including the national anthem, “GodBless America” and several military-style marches by composer JohnPhilip Sousa. The Easthaven choir will lend their voices to theperformance for “Homeward Bound” and “God Bless America.”

Easthaven music and worship pastor Robert Mayfield said joiningthe Ole Brook Wind Symphony for the performance was an extension ofthe church’s mission. The church and band already have a standingpartnership stemming from the church’s annual Patriotic Picnic onJuly 4.

“We constantly want to provide ministries not only for ourchurch folks, but also for the community,” he said. “This is justanother way we can get involved with the community and bring theministry to them.”

Aside from the performance, the Alpha Psi chapter of EpsilonSigma Alpha International will be accepting items for the concert’sgoods drive to assemble into care packages for the men and womenoverseas.

Acceptable care package items include toiletries, phone cards,DVDs, books and magazines and any type of playing card or boardgame. No perishable items or spray cans will be accepted. A fulllist of care package recommendations can be found online athttp://militarycarepackages.net/.

Symphony trumpet player John Calcote said great emphasis isbeing placed on the goods drive. He said the drive would extendbeyond the concert, with details to be worked out Tuesdaynight.

“If people don’t bring things with them, we’re hoping they’llbring it back and we can gather up lots of goods,” Calcotesaid.

Calcote said donations would also be accepted to purchaseadditional care package items.