Candidates to collect care packages for troops

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Arizona Sen. John McCain is using his presidential bus tour through South Carolina to collect care packages for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, his campaign announced Tuesday.

McCain, a Vietnam veteran who is seeking the GOP presidential nomination, is asking members of the public to fill shoeboxes with items that would be useful to the soldiers serving abroad. His campaign sent out a list of supplies, including non-perishable food, toiletries, games, magazines and phone cards.

"If we can do something to make our troops more comfortable in the field, then we ought to do it," McCain said.

McCain and his "No Surrender" bus tour heads to South Carolina on Saturday. Next week, McCain will donate the care packages to a variety of non-profit organizations that have agreed to send them to the soldiers.

McCain is not the only presidential candidate who is asking political supporters to help the troops. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is promoting a program called "Surge of Support" for the troops, where the campaign encourages people to donate money and supplies to a number of non-profit organizations that support the troops. The campaign also collects supplies to donate to soldiers fighting abroad.

- CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich