Make a video for loved one in military

COLUMBUS - Military families will have a chance Saturday to record a two-minute video for their loved one in the service.

The Prairie Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross will be at the Army Reserve building. Any family member from any area county can come to 1221 East 23rd St. from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to send his or her video message. It doesn't matter which branch of the service the loved one is in.

All the family needs to bring is the e-mail address of the recipient. There is no fee for the service.

"It's part of our family support system ... trying to get families closer together," said Edie Christopher, who is a caseworker with the local Red Cross.

Project Video Connect allows military families to create and send video messages to their loved ones serving overseas by installing VIDITalk, a video communication software application donated by technology company VIDISolutions, on computers at Red Cross chapters and stations around the world, according to a news release at www.redcross.org.

The combined efforts of the Red Cross, VIDISolutions, America Online and Hewlett-Packard have now made the service available to 50 Red Cross chapters serving communities with large military populations.

Regardless of what Internet service provider the military members use, as soon as they sign on to check e-mail, it will become part of that e-mail message list.

For more information, contact Christopher at 564-8314.