During the Father's Day weekend of June 17-18, 2006 hundreds of volunteers will join together at the California Army National Guard Armory in Van Nuys to continue the Patriotic Drive and assemble Operation Gratitude’s 150,000th Care Package for shipment to a U.S. Service Member deployed overseas. Operation Gratitude Director of Operations, Charlie Othold, expects to hit this milestone moment approximately 1:00p.m. on Saturday, June 17th.

In addition to regular Wish List items provided by more than 50 Corporate Sponsors and Friends, and by tens of thousands of individual donors across the country, the 150,000th Care Package will feature a DVD Player and a special collection of DVDs. The 150,000th Care Package will also include a 2-Night Stay at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.

New and returning volunteers will gather at the National Guard Armory between 10am-5 pm on June 17th & 18th to assemble an additional 12-14,000 Patriotic Care Packages. By the end of the weekend, Operation Gratitude will have assembled over 45,000 packages during this 2006 Patriotic Drive, which started over the Armed Forces and Memorial Day Weekends in May.

Tens of thousands of deployed troops have received the surprise Care Packages since Operation Gratitude sent its first shipment in March, 2003, and they express their appreciation through a constant flow of letters, emails and pictures, as seen in the Mail Call and Photo Gallery sections of the www.operationgratitude.com website.

"I want to express a heartfelt "Thank you" for all the work you are doing in support of what we, the soldiers are doing over here so far from home. I, along with several of my soldiers, have nobody at home to support us during our deployment, and the receipt of your packages was a marvelous boost to our spirits. Imagine a young private, orphaned at the age of 4 away from home for the first time in 20 years. He isn't expecting anything from the foster parents who raised him, and his expectations are met. Suddenly, the Platoon Sergeant calls out his name .... "You've got a box!" The soldier's eyes light up as he rushes over to get his box. Inside he finds new socks.... he needs them because the laundry has lost two pairs already. He also finds sunblock "Thank God," he laughs (the PX is sold out) "It's hot out there on guard duty." Also he spies AA batteries. "Now I can listen to my walkman before I go to bed tonight." (Try finding AA batteries at the PX!) This is just a small look into the joy that Operation Gratitude brings. Hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers are feeling the same way right now because of your work. Along with my thanks, I salute you. SSG S.G."

Volunteers (ages 12 years and older) are welcome to assist in the weekend activities. The Armory is located at: 17330 Victory Boulevard; Van Nuys, CA; 91436; at the corner of Victory and Louise. For additional information, please visit the www.operationgratitude.com website, email cblashek@aol.com or call the Hotline: 818-789-0563

Media and press are invited to attend the 150,000th package celebration

WHAT: Operation Gratitude Patriotic Drive and 150,000th Care Package Celebration

WHEN: June 17-18, 2006, 10:00 a.m. - 5p.m. daily

Shipment of 150,000th Package: 1:00p.m., Saturday June 17, 2006

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

Learn more...

Operation Gratitude ( www.operationgratitude.com ) is the California- based 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that sends care packages and letters addressed to individually named U.S. troops deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay, Kosovo and on military ships all over the world.

Operation Gratitude was founded in March 2003 by Carolyn Blashek to support U.S. Troops serving in some of the world’s harshest locations and is funded entirely by private donations and staffed exclusively by volunteers. Its mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member's face and to express to all troops the appreciation and support of the American people. For safety and security, the assembling of packages occurs at the California Army National Guard, 746th QM BN Armory in Van Nuys, California. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude has shipped more than 145,000 packages to American troops deployed overseas.