When a humorous website dedicated to the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power program heard about a laundry-room fire at sea, it was all dainties on deck.
“The Reactor Is Critical” started a fund drive to replace laundry lost in the March blaze aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford.
“When I heard they had a laundry-room fire we were asked to see if we could help them out,” said Kelsey Eckelman, who with Mike Lassiter runs the website.
After hearing of the issues facing the crew, they decided to take action in a humorous way with “Operation Panty Drop.”
Lassiter was surprised at how fast the money came in, according to writer Rob Rizzo of Wavy.com.
“We brought in $12,000 by the second day,” Lassiter told Rizzo. “And then, by the time we sent everything out, it was about $20,000.”
The money was used to buy various supplies for the shipmates, including items specifically requested by female sailors.
They sent feminine hygiene products and hair ties – as well as 600 pairs of panties.
“A lot of the female sailors were asking for hair ties and hairbrushes, just really basic stuff that they weren’t able to get themselves,” Eckelman said.
The carrier Ford, homeported in Norfolk, Virginia and the lead ship in its class, was most recently deployed in the mideast, off the Israeli coast.
