METHUEN | Ramon "Andy" Jimenez cracked a smile at first, but quickly started to laugh and point as he watched Lawrence Veterans' Agent Francisco Urena try to hula-hoop with a crowd of young girls.

Jimenez had more laughs yesterday than he's had since his son, Army Spc. Alex Jimenez, disappeared in Iraq two months ago.

While most events honoring his son have been on the somber side | church services, vigils | the Lawrence man spent his Saturday at The Loop shopping center for a more light-hearted tribute to Alex and others who serve.

"I've seen a lot of people here approach me," Ramon Jimenez said through a translator. "There are a lot of positive thoughts. They give me their support. Everyone has been so nice."

Methuen-based New England Caring for Our Military teamed up with The Loop yesterday to collect thousands of dollars in donations and dozens of boxes of care package items to send to the soldiers searching for Alex. For the price of a donation, they offered shoppers entertainment like a moon-walk, a DJ and horse rides.

It was the end of a close to two-month-long Search Team Appreciation Drive, which organizer James Sereigo-Wareing said gathered more than six tons of items | the weight of an adult elephant. He'll sort and box the packages next weekend. The items will help more than 20,000 soldiers.

"It's good that we help the Army men out," Methuen resident Amy Miller, 5, said after she stuck $5 in a donation bucket bearing Alex Jimenez's face. "I don't want anyone to be hurt. ... I want them to come home."

Miller was drawn to the Lawrence soldier's face, which was plastered everywhere | on donation buckets, posters, pins and flyers.

The 25-year-old Army specialist went missing with two other soldiers after an ambush May 12. Pvt. Byron Fouty of Michigan also remains missing, while the third soldier was found dead.

"People feel for the Jimenez family, and all our soldiers," Wareing said yesterday. "It makes you feel good to see Andy smiling. You know he hasn't had much good times."

Gayle Nigro, manager of The Loop, said she was happy to incorporate the cause into the center's seventh annual sidewalk sale.

"We usually just do the sale, but we thought this was a great cause," Nigro said. "Because it's been four years, so many people have seemed to forget about the troops over there. We need to do whatever we can. Even if everyone just donates one dollar it can make a difference."

Nigro gave a tiny rubber duck dressed in an Army uniform | one of the many gifts that The Loop was handing out | to Ramon Jimenez for good luck.

"I told him I didn't even know how to thank him and his son for defending the country," she said. "It was an honor to meet him."