Advocate staff photo by ADAM LAU -- Jenny Heroman and Larry Schexnaydre perform onstage during a salute Thursday to members of the Louisiana National Guard's 922nd Horizontal Engineer Company, 769th Engineer Battalion. The event hosted by the Ascension Veterans Association at the Gonzales Civic Center raised funds to send care packages to 922nd personnel who are being sent overseas later this year.

Advocate staff photo by ADAM LAU -- Bailey Purvis sings Jan. 3 during a musical salute to troops in Gonzales. Money from the event will be used to send items to National Guard troops during a year-long deployment.

Advocate staff photo by ADAM LAU -- Jeremy Stein, left, jams onstage during a musical salute to U.S. troops, hosted by the Ascension Veterans Associations.

Advocate staff photo by ADAM LAU -- Ned Fasullo sings onstage during a musical salute to troops.

Advocate staff photo by ADAM LAU -- Linda Cruz, Tammy Wilson, Ron Doofe and Alex Cruz, from left, help load a truck with recyclables Saturday during the monthly Recycling Road Show at Wal-Mart's parking lot in Prairieville. A steady flow of cars and trucks lined up to drop off newspapers, plastics, cardboard and other recyclables.

Advocate staff photo by ADAM LAU -- Volunteer Alex Cruz helps load a truck with recyclables Saturday during the monthly Recycling Road Show at Wal-Mart's parking lot in Prairieville.