Jack Bellew isn’t about to forget the men and women who are in harm’s way in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 8-year-old, who yearns to serve in the Army Airborne and then work as a CHP officer, is staging a dinner Saturday at Isadore’s so he can raise money to send at least 500 more snack packs to troops serving in the Global War on Terror.

A similar dinner last year sold out. It raised enough money to pay for snacks and the postage to send packages to 700 troops.

“He says it makes his heart feel good to send snacks to our troops,” his mother Kelly Pace said.

It all started back when Jack was 6½ years old. His cousin Matt Maddox had enlisted and was part of the 173rd Airborne that was deployed to Afghanistan.  Jack decided to send some of his favorite snacks - Slim Jims, gum, and other candy - to his cousin. It snowballed from there. He’s sent 2,246 snack packs so far covering the cost of the items and postage by selling ornaments, staging fundraisers such as the dinner, and donations.

Isadore and Laurel Fang jumped at the chance last year to help. Jack’s mother, who now works as a CHP dispatcher in Atwater, had worked for 10 years as a waitress at Isadore’s.

The dinner dubbed “I Know Jack and He Supports Our Troops Fundraiser” is this Saturday, Aug. 6, at 7 p.m. at Isadore’s at 680 North Main St. The $20 donation includes a pasta buffet and live music by the band Renegade Conspiracy that is also donating their time.

Tickets can be purchased at Isadore’s or over the phone (825-4300) by credit card and you can pick up your tickets that night.

Jack will be there to greet those who are helping support our troops. Be warned, though, that you can’t talk him into going into any other branch of the military.

“An Air Force (veteran) tried to talk him into the Air Force,” his mother said, “but Jack told him he’s 100 percent Army Airborne.”