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300,000th Care Package Delivered!

Posted on January 28, 2008 - 03:06 AM

Operation Gratitude Delivers 300,000th Care Package

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Operation Gratitude founder, Carolyn Blashek, and Director of Operations, Charlie Othold, traveled 9,000 miles to surprise an unknowing Soldier with the keys to a 2008 Jeep(R) Liberty at Forward Operating Base Warhorse in Iraq on January 22. The gift of the Liberty was in celebration of Operation Gratitude's shipment of 300,000 care packages to troops deployed overseas.

Spc. Michael Gallagher, of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Washington, was the recipient of Operation Gratitude's special care package.

The Jeep(R) was donated by the Jeep brand. In a letter addressed to an "American Hero", John Plecha, Director -Jeep Marketing and Global Communications, said it was an honor to do something special for both a great organization and for the troops in

Iraq.

"As the recipient of the 300,000th Operation Gratitude care package, the Jeep brand is delighted to award you a Jeep vehicle of your own as a symbol of our appreciation, as you represent all those who bravely go in harm's way in service to our country," Plecha's letter continued.

"When my commander ordered me to show up to this ceremony, I thought it was just another care package and they were making a big deal about it because it was the 300,000th one," said Gallagher. "When I opened up the envelope, (containing the keys to the Jeep inside) it completely blew my mind."

The care package contained various other gifts from U.S. citizens and companies that generously support Operation Gratitude, including letters from local schools, the 700,000th donated packet of Emergen-C Drink Mix, an autographed copy of Lt. General Hal Moore's "A General's Spiritual Journey," and four cigars from California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"I would like to thank Operation Gratitude so much for supporting the troops and providing an opportunity to show that people actually care," Gallagher said. "I am very grateful for the time and effort that people, whom we don't even know, put forth to make all this happen for us," he continued.

Gallagher, a vehicle commander, will receive his new Jeep Liberty upon returning to the U.S. later this year. He plans on having a mural painted on the hood of the Liberty in tribute to the fallen heroes from his company.

"It was an enourmous honor and privilege to personally deliver this 300,000th care package on behalf of Operation Gratitude's thousands of supporters," exclaimed Carolyn Blashek. "I am so grateful to Major General Mark P. Hertling for the opportunity to deliver not only the package but the respect, gratitude and love from each and every one of our volunteers and sponsors" she continued.

Hertling

For more pictures, check the Operation Gratitude Photo Gallery: 300,000 Package

For video coverage, see YouTube: Operation Gratitude

Operation Gratitude Holiday Drive Wrap-Up

Posted on January 11, 2008 - 22:43 PM

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Operation Gratitude "Wraps Up" Holiday Drive and 300,000^th Package

During the weekend of December 15 and 16, 2007, Operation Gratitude's team of dedicated Volunteers wrapped up the organization's 300,000^th Care Package as well as this season's record-setting Holiday Drive.

Over five weekends of assembly work, thousands of Operation Gratitude volunteers created 70,000 care packages chock full of fabulous items donated by generous citizens from every state and by our loyal Corporate Sponsors. Today, more than 58,000 of these packages have been received by our deployed service members, and more are on their way. Please visit our website to see the photos and to read the troops' letters!

The milestone 300,000th package, which includes keys to a 2008 Jeep Liberty donated by the Jeep brand of Chrysler, LLC, will be delivered soon.

In total, Operation Gratitude's volunteers have now shipped more than 315,000 care packages to our men and women in uniform deployed overseas. Thank YOU for your continued support to make this happen!

Halloween Candy is Sweet Treat for More than Just Kids

This Halloween, dentists across the country promoted a unique way to bring brighter smiles to both American kids and U.S. troops. They hosted Halloween "Buy Back" events where dentists paid kids one dollar for every pound of candy they turned in. The candy was then shipped to Operation Gratitude to include in its care packages. Dr. Chris Kammer, senior dentist at the Center for Cosmetic Dentistry in Middleton, WI, created and organized the Buy Back program.

"This was a fun and effective event for us," said Jenny Skrenes, a marketing professional for the Center for Cosmetic Dentistry. "It gave dentists a new way to fulfill their mission of fighting cavities, while also giving them the opportunity to help fulfill Operation Gratitude's mission of putting smiles on service members' faces."

More than 80 dentists across 27 states participated in the Buy-Back program. Approximately 24,000 pounds of candy were shipped to Operation Gratitude, and that truly does have everyone smiling! We hope to include lots of Easter candy, especially Jelly Beans, in the Patriotic packages this spring.

Volunteers Knit Warmth for Troops' Hearts and Minds

This fall, volunteer knitters and crocheters were hard at work, creating beautiful handmade scarves and hats for US troops. Thanks to the deft hands and clicking needles of 200+ volunteers from 20 different states across the country, Operation Gratitude received more than 2500 lovingly crafted items for the Holiday 2007 care packages..

Many of the troop thank you letters say that the scarves and hats keep them warm during the cold winter nights in the field, but even more importantly, the thoughtfulness of these gifts keep their hearts warm day and night, all year round.

Our crafters are now hard at work sewing the Bandana Cool-Ties for our summer Patriotic care packages, and many are already working on scarves for the 2008 Holiday Drive. We welcome your handiwork too! For more information, please contact Sharon Howard at sharhoward39@gmail.com .

Saying Thank You to All US Veterans

Operation Gratitude is dedicated to helping currently deployed service members feel valued and appreciated while they are far from home. Our supporters also recognize the importance of continuously saying "thank you" to those who have honorably served their country in years past.

That's why Operation Gratitude created the Letters to Veterans campaign to personally thank the tens of thousands of US Veterans who served their country in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and other conflicts. To date, 700 letters have been written and more than 500 of those have been received by veterans.

Want to get involved? Please send your letters to Penny Alfonso, and she will distribute them to the many veterans across the country who deserve our respect and gratitude for their service.

Girl Scout Cookie Sales Starting Soon

Girl Scouts from coast to coast will soon be selling their delicious cookies through pre-sales and booth sales. We hope to include two boxes of these "taste of home" cookies in every Operation Gratitude care package this year. So, when you see these enterprising Scouts, please purchase additional boxes of cookies for Operation Gratitude. By donating Girl Scout cookies through our "Troops to Troops" campaign, you not only support the Girl Scout way, but you express your appreciation to our troops as well!

As one Sargeant wrote: "Your support of the troops is very significant and greatly appreciated. And by the way, the Girl Scout Cookies that were included in the packages were a big hit!!" To read more Troop Letters, visit the Mail Call section of our website.

Operation Gratitude Schedule for 2008

The intrepid Operation Gratitude Volunteers have already marked their calendars with the dates of the 2008 Patriotic and Holiday Drives. All information is now on the website: 2008 Schedule. The "accelerated" Patriotic Drive will be here before you know it: We urge all supporters to concentrate on collecting Beanie Babies and writing lots of letters for our summer Drive. Please email cblashek@aol.com for the Letter Writing Flyer.

More ideas on How You Can Help throughout the year can be found on the website.

Be sure to check out our Recycling Program to help raise funds for shipping!

Visit the Operation Gratitude Online Storefront, where you can shop for beautiful logo items and support our troops at the same time!

THANK YOU!!

For making 2007 our most successful year yet! We shipped over 110,000 care packages-that's almost 1 Million pounds of product and 4.4 Million individual items! With your continued support in 2008, we will continue to put smiles on our service member's faces and send our messages of respect and appreciation to our deployed troops who are so far away from home.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and safe New Year!

Operation Gratitude Sends 300,000th Care Package

Posted on December 19, 2007 - 08:32 AM

300,000th Care Package Celebration
Santa joins 1000 Volunteers and Special Guests Santa and Jeep 12-07

Van Nuys, CA - Ten days before his regularly scheduled journey, Santa J. Claus surprised more than 1000 Operation Gratitude volunteers on December 15, when he arrived at the California National Guard Armory in a sleek new 2008 Jeep Liberty, led onto the drill floor by eight Emergen-C Reindeer. Joining Stephen Quinn (center), Jeep Brand district manager of the West Business Center and Monica Sikorski (right), Special Event & Promotions Manager

Alacer Corp., Makers of Emergen-C, Santa proudly held the 300,000th Operation Gratitude Care Package as Quinn placed the keys to the Liberty inside the box.

"The Jeep brand is donating an all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty to the recipient of the 300,000^th Operation Gratitude package," announced Quinn, 30. "The Jeep brand looks forward to personally expressing our gratitude when we award the real vehicle to the lucky recipient upon his or her return to the U.S.," he continued.

Sikorski, 28, lead reindeer and Alacer representative, added several special gifts, including the 700,000th packet of Emergen-C, the popular nutrient packed energy drink. She also matched donation challenges from Operation Gratitude Supervisor Georgie Baby Jacobs, King and his Court Captain, Jack Knight and U.S. Military All-Stars Manager, Terry Allvord.

Claus, age unknown, admitted that he is normally working feverishly back home at the Pole this time of year, but stated: "There is no place I'd rather be on this milestone occasion than right here with the Operation Gratitude Volunteers, as we express our immense appreciation to all of our courageous men and women in uniform who are far away from their homes and loved ones this Holiday season."

Special Guests Join the Assembly Line

More Exciting Gifts for the 300,000th Package

Operation Gratitude Volunteers were honored to work side by side with Major General William Wade, the Adjutant General of California, who enthusiastically filled and labeled packages on the Assembly Line. Also joining the 1000-strong crowd were actress Patricia Heaton from EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND and BACK TO YOU, and cast members from NBC-Universal's shows DAYS OF OUR LIVES and COASTAL DREAMS: Jay Kenneth Johnson, Kristian Alfonso (shown here with NBC-UNI employee and Operation Gratitude Supervisor Tommy Reuter), Kam Heskin and Charlie Kozick. Days and Tommy

In addition to the Jeep Liberty keys and Emergen-C products, the 300,000th Care Package also includes a box of cigars donated personally by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, copies of the Operation Gratitude greeting card, Magazine and "A General's Spiritual Journey" all autographed by Lt. General Hal Moore, autographed pictures from Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner and John Travolta, batteries from "Troop Batteries," and The King and His Court-Operation Gratitude 5 foot by 7 foot Banner signed by hundreds of supporters from all over the country.

During the lunch hour, Volunteers were treated to a delicious meal generously provided by Maria's Italian Kitchen. Corporate Sponsors Alacer (Emergen-C), Before and After Mints and Pitbull Energy Bars distributed samples of their products that had also been donated for the packages.

The Message and the Meaning of 300,000 Packages

Weights and Measurements

Addressing the record-breaking group, Operation Gratitude founder Carolyn Blashek enumerated several reasons to celebrate the milestone package: To highlight the extraordinary efforts of the Volunteers, to acknowledge the enormous generosity of the individual and Corporate donors, and to publicize to the world, and especially to the troops, the immense appreciation and support that exists for our Military.

To illustrate the magnitude of 300,000 packages, Blashek provided some statistics:

1. Each Operation Gratitude care package weighs, on average, 7 pounds-which means the organization has sent over 2 MILLION POUNDS or more than 1000 TONS of product to our troops!

2. Each Operation Gratitude care package contains an average of 40 items, which means the group has sent at least 12 MILLION items overseas!

3. Each Operation Gratitude package costs $10 to ship ($8.95 postage plus related costs), which means that the non-profit , all-volunteer organization has raised at least $3 Million since its inception. Revealing the second milestone of the day, Blashek announced that the organization had just received its One-Millionth Dollar donation for the year, drawing cheers from the Volunteers, and eliciting more pledges to help raise the additional $200,000 needed to send the remaining Holiday care packages for this year.

Blashek emphasized that every dollar donated is used solely to assemble and ship the care packages: no salaries are paid and no funds are used to raise additional funds (such as through direct mail campaigns or advertising).

Flanking the 2008 Jeep Liberty that escorted Santa Claus, Operation Gratitude Supervisors are joined by members of the U.S. Military All-Stars Baseball Team and Jeep Brand's Stephen Quinn, who placed the keys into the 300,000th Care Package for special delivery to a randomly selected service member deployed overseas. For more pictures of the Event, as well as photos of troops receiving Operation Gratitude packages, visit the Photo Gallery on the website. To read about the impact of the packages, see the Mail Call section.

Operation Gratitude Hits Two Major Milestones on Same Day

Posted on December 10, 2007 - 22:37 PM

As 5th Annual Holiday Drive Continues

Van Nuys, CA - December 11, 2007 - Following five weekend days marked by hundreds of volunteers shipping thousands of Holiday Care Packages, Operation Gratitude Director of Operations, Charlie Othold, announced today that the organization will reach an unprecedented production milestone on Saturday, December 15, 2007: the assembly of its 300,000th CARE PACKAGE!!

Othold expects the 300,000th package to hit the Assembly Line during the 11:00am-12:00 noon hour on Saturday, December 15th.

In addition to regular Wish List items provided by more than 150 Corporate Sponsors and Friends, and by tens of thousands of individual donors across the country, the 300,000th Care Package will include the keys to a new 2008 Jeep Liberty donated by the Jeep brand of Chrylser LLC.

A very special delivery of the package is being arranged.

Operaration Gratitude Corporate Secretary, Cheryl Zerah, added to the anticipation of the event announcing that another milestone would be reached on the same day as the record package. "We have a surprise that will be very exciting for all the volunteers and supporters throughout the country," Zerah hinted.

Several Military and Political dignitaries, along with representatives from many of the organization's Corporate Sponsors will join celebrities and cast members from popular day-time and evening TV shows to assist the Operation Gratitude volunteers assemble thousands of troop gifts, in addition to the 300,000th Care Package. Fun activities and delicious product samples will be provided by Corporate donors.

Media and press are invited to attend the Double Milestone Celebration

WHAT:
Operation Gratitude Volunteers assemble the 300,000th Care Package

WHEN:
Saturday December 15, 2007, 11:00 a.m. - 12 Noon

Packing will continue from 1-4 p.m. on December 15 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 16th, 2007

WHERE:
California National Guard Armory
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, Ca. 91406
Corner of Victory and Louise

Volunteers (ages 12 years and older) are welcome to assist in the weekend activities. For additional information, please visit the www.operationgratitude.com website, email cblashek@aol.com or call the Hotline: 818-909-0039.

The Troops Respond:

The troops express their appreciation for Operation Gratitude Care Packages through a constant flow of letters, e-mails and pictures, as seen in the Mail Call and Photo Gallery sections of the www.operationgratitude.com website.

"I wanted to let you know how much this care package meant to me! I saw my name on the list for mail and I don't get mail so I went to check and to my surprise I had a package! I just don't have the words to thank all those that are involved in this program......it meant so much to me.......it was the 1st Care Package that I ever received.........I saw your smiling faces and your heartfelt thanks for our service and it gave a new meaning to what we do here........it made me feel that someone back home really cares for what we fight for everyday! God bless all of You! Sgt. J.P."

Ben Affleck Joins Volunteers at Holiday Drive Kick-Off

Posted on November 13, 2007 - 07:26 AM

Operation Gratitude Breaks All Records!
Volunteers assemble 19,596 packages in just 2 days!

Van Nuys, CA; November 13, 2007 - During the Veteran's Day Weekend, November 10-11, more than 800 volunteers gathered at the National Guard Armory in Van Nuys to kick-off Operation Gratitude's 5th Annual Holiday Drive to send care packages to deployed troops.

With music blaring, employees from Target, Disney, Warner Brothers, Boeing, Time Warner Cable and the California Escrow Association joined Service Members, Veterans, church and temple groups, schools, scouts and hundreds of new and returning volunteers to assemble and ship an unprecendented 19,596 care packages, averaging a staggering 1900 packages per hour, and bringing our overall tally to: 278,947 care packages sent to our troops!

Hollywood Star Works the Line Ben A on Line

To the surprise and absolute delight of all the Volunteers, Actor Ben Affleck arrived at the Armory Saturday morning and jumped right on the Assembly Line, filling care packages, labeling the boxes, and writing customs forms. Wearing the newly designed Operation Gratitude T-shirt and graciously taking pictures with every person who asked, Mr. Affleck also spoke to the crowd of over 500 Volunteers about the importance of their work and the need to let our troops know we support and appreciate them. Affleck promised the crowd he would continue to promote the cause and try to bring greater awareness to the wonderful work of Operation Gratitude.

More Exciting Guests and Events Upcoming

SPC Alfonso Sanchez, the recipient of Operation Gratitude's 250,000th care package while deployed in Baghdad last summer, just returned to the States last week and will be at the Armory over the Thanksgiving Weekend, November 23-24 to thank all the Volunteers in person!

On December 1, Operation Gratitude will be honored to host the legendary Lt. General Hal Moore, the co-author of the book, and inspiration for the movie, "We Were Soldiers." Following a morning of assembling packages and a special award ceremony at noon (details to be announced soon), General Moore will autograph books, and visit with our dedicated Volunteers.

Another record within reach: On December 15, 2007, Operation Gratitude will assemble and ship its 300,000th care package! Lots of surprises and special guests will add to that milestone celebration.

For more information on all Volunteer activities, visit the Volunteer Section of the Operation Gratitude website.