Wednesday, January 04, 2006

America Supports You 1/4/2006

ASY from Coast to Coast and Across the Ocean
On December 31, America Supports You volunteers rode in three red, white and blue trucks, carried an ASY banner and passed out stickers along the route of the Fort McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade. Then on January 2, America Supports You organized a patriotic pre-game ceremony to honor veterans from the University of Notre Dame and Ohio State University, whose teams played in the bowl game. The halftime show highlight was the surprise reunion of Faith Jarvis and her boyfriend, U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant Raymond Vera. Jarvis attempted a charity football toss and then expected to talk with Vera via a live satellite link on-field. Instead, Vera was flown in from Iraq and proposed in front of more than 80,000 in-stadium fans and live on national television. Although Jarvis did not complete her throw, the USO, an America Supports You team member, still received a $25,000 donation from Tostitos, and Jarvis walked away with a brand new fiancé. Read more.

Shauna Fleming, the sixteen-year-old president and founder of A Million Thanks, has raised her goal to "2.6 in 2006." The campaign, launched on January 1, 2006, will bring the total number of letters sent by A Million Thanks to 2.6 million, one for every member of the active military, including Guard and Reserve forces. The initiative also asks America's youth to make a New Year's resolution to show their support for members of the U.S. Armed Forces, starting by sending a letter to a service member as part of "2.6 in 2006." Visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil to send a letter for Shauna's campaign! Read more.

Grammy Award winning artist and author of God Bless the USA, Lee Greenwood, and Products for Good, have created a unique way to support the families of fallen service members. Greenwood and the company are offering Patriotic Shadowboxes containing coins liberated by coalition forces from Saddam Hussein's treasury to raise money for an orphanage in Basra. Twenty-five percent of every dollar will also be donated to America Supports You team member Operation Family Fund with a goal to raise more than $20 million for the organization. To learn more about this effort, visit www.ProductsForGood.com, and to learn more about the Operation Family Fund, visit www.operationfamilyfund.org.

Second graders at Walker Elementary in Chuluota, Fla., continued a holiday project begun by teachers three years ago to support service members. Students wrote letters, sent cards and packed shoeboxes full of nonperishable food items, toiletries and seasonal candies for military men and women. Over the past four years, teachers have received e-mail messages, letters, pictures and small gifts from soldiers and Marines to show their appreciation.