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12,000 Participate in "A Day of Service for Our Military"
Operation Gratitude, Target and Serve DC Organize Massive Care Package Assembly Attended by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden
Answering the President's national call to service, Operation Gratitude, Target and Serve DC teamed up for "A Day of Service for Our Military," held January 19 at the historic Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.
With music blaring in a massive tent covering the RFK Stadium field, more than 12,000 volunteers from all walks of life gathered to create care kits for service members deployed overseas.
The District of Columbia's premier service event, "A Day of Service for Our Military," was a partnership between Operation Gratitude, Target and Serve DC, providing participants the opportunity to express their appreciation to those who serve our nation in uniform. Volunteers gathered inside the heated tent at RFK stadium to assemble care kits for inclusion in the Operation Gratitude care packages to be shipped during 2009.
Donated items placed in the care kits included: sunscreen, foot cream, gum, pad and pen sets, toothpaste, toothbrushes, AT&T phone cards, 5-Hour Energy drinks, Before and After mints and personalized Gallery Collection greeting cards written by volunteers at the event. The items were staged along the Assembly Line in bins donated by Buckhorn, Inc. Operation Gratitude Director of Operations, Charlie Othold, along with Supervisors Robert Bender and Bob Ramsay coordinated logistics and production of the enormous event.
To the surprised delight of the crowd, First Lady Michelle Obama, with her mom, Marion Robinson, daughter Malia, and Vice-Presidential spouse Jill Biden arrived early in the day to work on the Assembly Line and encourage the Volunteers.  Various elected officials also attended the service event to show their support and join the volunteers: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senators Chris Dodd (Connecticut) and Jon Tester (Montana), Governors Deval Patrick (Massachusetts) , Martin O'Malley (Maryland), Jennifer Granholm (Michigan), and Chris Gregoire (Washington); Representatives Bobby Bright (Alabama), Christopher Carney (Pennsylvania), Steve Driehaus (Ohio), Jeff Flake (Arizona), and Dina Titus (Nevada); and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty.
Several incoming cabinet members, nominees and advisors worked the Assembly Line as well: General Eric Shinseki, Shaun Donovan, Hilda Solis, Janet Napolitano, Ken Salazar, Tom Vilsack, Peter Orszag, Ray LaHood, Lisa Jackson, Eric Holder, Timothy Geithner, Susan Rice and Christina Romer.
During the closing ceremony, the volunteers were thanked by Staff Sergeant Ericka Castro, who recently served in Iraq: "I know that these care packages are extremely meaningful, particularly when you are serving overseas and are thousands of miles from home. Care packages made me feel better physically and emotionally when I was in Iraq, because it was a reminder that my service was valued and that people back home thought of me."
Carolyn Blashek, Founder of Operation Gratitude, noted that when members of the Military open the care packages, they will find all sorts of fun and useful items donated by very generous donors. But, she added, "Equally important as the specific items in the care packages are the energy and enthusiasm of the volunteers who pack them. When our recipients open their Operation Gratitude packages, they will not only see great items, but also feel the love, respect and appreciation of the American people. That is what Operation Gratitude and "A Day of Service for Our Military" is all about."
Target, a long-time Corporate Donor of Operation Gratitude, and the lead corporate sponsor for "A Day of Service," also procured many of the care kit items and provided wonderful thank you gifts ("Eco-Totes") to the 12,000+ volunteers who attended the RFK event. "Target has been honored to partner with Mayor Fenty, Serve DC, Operation Gratitude and the generous people around the country, on this day when we remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. "This day of service was an opportunity to say "thank you" to the service members from towns large and small across America who are far from home, including our own team members on active military duty."
At the conclusion of the day, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced the final tally:
85,000 care kits assembled, 10,000 more than the initial goal set for the event.
"It is an honor and a privilege to bring together volunteers from across the nation to serve our troops while commemorating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr," said Mayor Fenty. "In preparing these care packages, we celebrated an everlasting spirit of public service, and reminded those who have sacrificed the most that they are in our thoughts and in our hearts."
For video footage of the event, see the "Favorites" section of the Operation Gratitude YouTube Channel.
For photos, visit: Operation Gratitude Photo Gallery |
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About Operation Gratitude
Operation Gratitude is the California- based 501 (c) (3) non-profit, volunteer organization that annually sends 100,000+ care packages of snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in hostile regions such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and on military ships at sea. Its mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member's face and to express to all our Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people. Since its inception in March, 2003, Operation Gratitude has shipped more than 410,000 packages to American military deployed overseas. |
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About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation serves guests at 1,684 stores in 48 states nationwide and at www.Target.com. Target is committed to providing a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to unique and highly differentiated products at affordable prices. Since 1946, the corporation has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs like Take Charge of Education. Today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. |
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About Serve DC
The mission of the DC Commission on National and Community Service is to strengthen and promote the District of Columbia's spirit of service through partnerships, national service and volunteerism. The Commission focuses on three areas to accomplish this mission: · Partnerships: Develops partnerships among civic groups, government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, corporations and small businesses and the faith-based community. · National Service: Administers AmeriCorps programs in the District and facilitates collaboration among all national service programs including Senior Corps, Learn and Serve, AmeriCorps*NCCC and AmeriCorps*VISTA. · Volunteerism: Encourages citizens of all ages and backgrounds to address a variety of community needs by volunteering. Leads the Citizen Corps initiative, which provides citizens with opportunities to volunteer and make their communities safer, stronger and better prepared to address threats of terrorism, crime and disasters. |
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Supporting Sponsors and Product Donors
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