Stephen King helps U.S. troops visit home

BANGOR, Maine, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Author Stephen King donated $12,999 to bring 150 troops training in Camp Atterbury, Ind., back to their Maine homes for the holidays, an assistant said.

Julie Eugley, a personal assistant to King, said the horror novelist and his wife, Tabitha, made the donation so the soldiers of Bravo Company of the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Unit could spend the holidays with their loved ones, the Bangor (Maine) Daily News reported Saturday.

Yet before King made the donation, he had to tweak the requested total to avoid any bad luck befalling the Maine troops, Eugley said.

"Steve is such a numbers person," explained Eugley, who personally paid $1 to round out the donation at $13,000. "When we were approached for $13,000, he thought that number was a little unlucky. He didn't want any bad whammies associated with these troops."

The Daily News said the donation from King, a Maine native, will fund two bus trips for the 150 soldiers, who are due to ship out to Afghanistan in January.