April 9, 2015
In This Issue:

Greetings!

Thank you for joining us for this issue of Marine Parents News. If this is your first time receiving the newsletter, welcome aboard, we're excited for you to be here!

Team Marine Parents still has bibs available for this year's Marine Corps Marathon. Learn more in our first article.

April is "Month of the Military Child." Learn more in our second article.

To see what else is new with the organization or to learn more about the Marine Corps, check out the rest of our articles. We hope you enjoy!

Thank you for joining us and especially for your continued support of our brave men and women in uniform.

Semper Fi Marine Families!





 
 
Tracy Della Vecchia
Founder and Executive Director
MarineParents.com, Inc.

Join the Team!
Marine Corps Marathon Bibs are Available!

Do you want to run in this year's Marine Corps Marathon (MCM)  but missed your chance to get a bib during this year's MCM registration lottery? Don't worry, Team Marine Parents (TMP) has your back! 
As an official MCM Charity Partner, TMP has bibs available for those who want to run in the marathon, all you have to do is join the team! TMP currently has 27 bibs available for this year's race. Each bib costs $130 (a $125 registration fee and a $5 processing fee) and runners must pledge to raise at least $500 for a MarineParents.com outreach program of their choice in return for receiving their bib. 


 

Joining TMP is a great way to get in shape while raising money for a good cause and these bibs won't last long! Don't miss out on your chance to run in the 2015 MCM, join TMP today! 


 

Click here to join the team today!

April is Month of the Military Child

 

Established in 1986 by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, April is the Month of the Military Child. Marine Parents would like to take this opportunity to recognize the sacrifices and support of the approximately 2 million U.S. military children 18 years old and younger who have one or both parents serving in the armed forces. 

To read the official Department of Defense release, please
click here...
An instructor with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group's Corporal's Course assists a noncommissioned officer with sword drill movements aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 20, 2014. Instructors used a combination of demonstration and repetitive application to hone the Marines' form and command presence. (USMC photo Cpl. Shawn Valosin)
Marine Corps NCO Sword
Learning More About the Corps

Adopted in 1859, the United States Marine Corps NCO sword is carried by Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and Staff Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs). 

Currently used solely for ceremonial purposes, the M1859 NCO sword was introduced by the sixth Commandant of the Marine Corps, Colonel John Harris in recognition of the leadership of NCOs/SNCOs in combat.  

The Marine Corps NCO sword is the oldest weapon in continuous use in the United States military (the USMC Officer's sword, the "Mameluke," was introduced prior to the NCO sword, but was out of use during the early years of the Civil War). 

To learn more about the history of the Marine Corps, please click here...

To order your NCO sword today, please click here...
Leon's father addresses the crowd before the 2014 walk/run.
Leon B. Deraps Charity Walk/Run
Keeping Memories Alive

On May 6, 2006, Lance Corporal Leon B. Deraps of Jamestown, Missouri made the ultimate sacrifice for his country while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. To honor Leon, his family (longtime Marine Parents pack day volunteers), along with Leon's high school, set up a scholarship fund in his name in late 2006.

 

This year, four members of the Marine Parents staff will be participating in the event, and they've set a goal of raising $500 for the scholarship fund. For those of you who want to show your support by donating to the Leon Deraps Scholarship Fund, please click here. After clicking the link, click on the arrow on the drop-down menu at the top of the page and select the Staff, Marine Parents: Marine Parents option. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

 

Click here to learn more...
Warriors Need Your Votes!
Support Marines Today!

A couple weeks ago, we shared a story about a group of stylists at United Hairlines in Chicago who recently held a fundraiser on our behalf and raised $2,700. Now, the same group has entered a contest to have the chance to win $10,000, which they will donate to our Warrior Support Team outreach program if they win. And we need you, the Marine Parents family, to help make that happen!

Vote once each day for Michelle E through April 26 for the Warrior Support Team to win a $10,000 donation!

Pack Day in April 18 
Show Your Support Today!

Next Saturday, April 18, is our second pack day of 2015. April is National Volunteer Month, and volunteers are the backbone of our organization. Nothing we do would be possible without so many dedicated volunteers across the country working on our behalf. 

To say "thank you" to our volunteers, we will be holding our annual Volunteer Appreciation Lunch immediately following pack day, during which we'll recognize out Volunteers of the Year. We'll also be holding a pack day raffle to raise money for the Leon B. Deraps Memorial Walk/Run.

To learn more about pack day, please click here...



Do You Know a Federal Employee?
Help Spread the Word!

 

In the spirit of giving back to others, we invite you to support us this year as we join in the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), and help us give back to the Marines who sacrifice so much on our behalf. 

 

The CFC is comprised of almost 200 charity campaigns throughout the country and overseas. All Federal civilian, postal, and military employees have an opportunity to choose from the CFC charities and pledge donations to the cause/s that matter most to them. In 2013 Federal employees contributed over $200 million dollars to CFC charities. While not all of you are Federal employees, each and every one of you can
help this campaign succeed!

 

 Click here to learn how you can help today!
MarineParents.com, Inc. is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity founded on January 21, 2003 to provide support, information, and services to Marines and their family members, and to create opportunities for individuals to support our troops. In over 12 years of service, Marine Parents has made a huge impact in support of Marines, military personnel, and their family members.

Marine family members are encouraged to support one another through activities and networking provided by the organization and guided by trained volunteers. Outreach to injured troops is volunteer-centered with in-person contact. Additional troop-support centered programs are designed to actively engage individuals and communities across the United States while maintaining the privacy of military personnel. All services are offered free to family members, Marines and military personnel.

In 12 years of service, MarineParents.com has:
  • Invested over $6 million delivering direct support to Marines, their families and other military personnel.
  • Provided information and a Place to Connect & Share� to more than 311,000 family members through a network of communities and educational websites.
  • Collected materials and shipped over 39,000 care packages to Marines and military personnel in combat zones.
  • Involved thousands of Americans in sending over 93,000 cards and letters to injured troops.
  • Served over 40,000 meals to injured troops and their families at military medical facilities on the east and west coasts.
  • Planned and carried out recreational events for hundreds of injured troops and their families.
  • Delivered materials and resources to aid in the recovery process to hundreds of family members of injured troops.
  • Provided support and networking to hundreds of Gold Star families.
Tracy Della Vecchia, Founder and Executive Director, leads the operations from the corporate office in Columbia, Missouri with staff, volunteers, and a volunteer Board of Directors. In addition to the moderated, OPSEC-compliant Marine Family Network (MFN), chat rooms and informative websites, several outreach programs to support Marines and families before, during and after the Marine Corps are provided by the organization. Funding for the programs is through donations, grants, fundraising and store sales. In 2009, the 15-item online store began expansion, eventually becoming the EGA Shop. In 2010, the production facility was established on-site to design and develop custom product, dramatically boosting sales and providing additional funding for the outreach programs. The organization is an official Marine Corps Trademark licensee.

Statistics updated January, 2015. 







Outreach Programs of MarineParents.com, Inc.:


Warrior Support Team

Operation Prayers
and Letters

The Care Package
Project

Gold Star
Family Support

Luminary Initiative
Gold Star Family Day
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