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Urgent: Volunteers Needed on Dec. 15
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
We have an urgent need for volunteers on Wed., Dec. 15 to help offload the gift boxes for Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas from trucks onto pallets.
Date: Wed., Dec. 15
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Tacoma
If you can help, please leave a message for Cheri at 425.957-0654. Please leave your name, phone # and email address so detailed instructions can be provided to you. Also, please indicate if OK to telphone you before 8 a.m.
Thank you.
Hurdles Cleared for Transporting "Spirit of Christmas" Gift Boxes
Saturday, December 11, 2004
News from Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas
For information: Online www.TheSpiritOfChristmasUSA.com
Final Hurdles Cleared for Transporting “Spirit of Christmas” Gift Boxes
KIRKLAND, Wash. (Dec. 10, 2004) – After weeks of being in a holding pattern, the director of “Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas” learned today (Friday, Dec. 10) that more than 14,000 holiday gift boxes will reach U.S. troops in Iraq in time for Christmas.
Volunteers will load the cartons onto trucks starting Monday morning (Dec. 13) at the project’s workshop in Totem Lake Mall (12552-B Totem Lake Boulevard, Kirkland). Oak Harbor Freight Lines, based in Auburn, donated trucking services and the Washington Trucking Associations facilitated the transportation arrangements.
Ruth Ann Young, the project’s director, said the gift boxes would be trucked to an undisclosed military base and flown to Iraq. “We are extremely grateful to Oak Harbor Freight Lines and the Trucking Associations for their flexibility and generosity,” Young said.
Volunteers finished packing cartons in mid-November, but shipping stalled as tensions mounted in Iraq and the military responded to insurgent attacks and threats. Deployment of additional troops and supplies left little space available on military planes for the estimated 64,000 pounds of “Operation Iraq” goody boxes, according to Young. She said her group had at least three contingency plans and several volunteers working behind the scenes to assure delivery by Christmas. “Our prayers have been answered,” she remarked, with obvious relief.
This is the second year for the grassroots project. Last year, more than 6,000 cartons went to troops after being trucked to Fort Riley, Kansas. This year, more than 800 individuals, organizations and businesses donated merchandise and dollars that enabled 400-plus volunteers to pack nearly 14,000 individual cartons and another several hundred larger boxes that will be delivered to platoons and squadrons.
The gift boxes contain items from “wish lists” provided by military personnel, including lip balm, eye wash, trail mix, toiletries and nonperishable snacks. Most boxes also have a holiday card with a handwritten note, a drawing or letter from a child, a holiday CD, reading material, plus games, puzzles or playing cards and other surprises.
Young, the owner of “The Spirit of Christmas” store in downtown Kirkland, started “Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas” last year after her business suffered serious smoke damage from a fire at a neighboring business. She was unable to replace the merchandise in time for last holiday season, so she converted her store into a workshop for preparing gift boxes for U.S. troops. Volunteers persuaded her to continue the program this year.
“Everyone at Operation Iraq is sharing tears of joy, knowing that we will again touch the hearts of so many of our wonderful military service members this Christmas,” Young exclaimed.
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Packing and Procurement Are Completed
Friday, November 12, 2004
November 12, 2004
Packing Completed, Goal Surpassed!
Volunteers completed assembling and packing gift boxes for U.S. troops by our November 10 target date, so we can no longer accept additional donations of “wish list” items. Within a few days, we expect the cartons will begin their journey to Iraq.
Thanks to a flurry of last-minute donations, volunteers were able to prepare several thousand additional holiday gift boxes during the project’s final week. Special thanks to KBSG-FM for sponsoring a fund-raiser/phonathon on Nov. 2 that netted more than $6,000 -- and to the hundreds of individuals and companies who gave so generously.
Final results are being tallied and will be reported on the website as part of a wrap-up report.
Fastlane, Burns and Hanging Chad "Going Vertical" for "Operation Iraq" Fundraiser
Friday, October 29, 2004
News from Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas
For information:
97.3 KBSG-FM, 206-726-7000
Phonathon number: 425.739-9627 (739-XMAS)
KIRKLAND, Wash. (Oct. 29, 2004) – Radio personalities Fastlane Phillips and Scott Burns vow to climb walls – and remain aloft for several hours – as they try to raise $12,000 for “Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas” on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Special guest “Hanging Chad” will join the duo at the Election Day fund-raiser, which is sponsored by 97.3 KBSG.
Money raised by the KBSG team will be used to purchase “wish list” items for holiday gift boxes for service men and women. Volunteers hope to prepare at least 10,000 boxes by a November 10 shipping deadline. The all-volunteer, nonpartisan, nonprofit program operates solely on donations. Project coordinator Ruth Ann Young estimates needing another $12,000 for the basic supplies for the boxes yet to be assembled.
The three men will scale the indoor climbing gym at Vertical World in Ballard starting around 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Fastlane said they’ll spend “however long it takes” traversing the climbing surfaces during the daylong phonathon.
Listeners will be asked to call The Spirit of Christmas store in Kirkland (425.739-9627) to pledge contributions for the “Operation Iraq” project.
Volunteers began filling boxes in late September from a makeshift workshop in donated space at Totem Lake Mall in Kirkland. Among the contents of the gift boxes are basic “wish list” items like individual-sized lip balm, eye wash, nonperishable snacks and powdered juice mix. Young said most of the boxes also include a holiday CD and greeting card with a handwritten note, along with reading material and “fun stuff” like baseball trading cards, foam Frisbees, playing cards and desktop “parlor puzzles.” Hundreds of kids have created cards and drawings for the gift boxes – but more are needed.
"When we heard Spirit of Christmas might fall short on its goal of 10,000 gift boxes, we just had to help," Fastlane remarked.
The Morning Drive with Fastlane & Burns airs weekdays on 97.3 FM from 5 a.m. until 9 a.m. and Saturdays from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m.
Young started “Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas” last year after her store suffered serious smoke damage from a fire at a neighboring business. She was unable to replace the merchandise in time for last holiday season, so she converted her store into a workshop for preparing gift boxes for U.S. troops. Volunteers persuaded her to continue the program this year. More information is online at http://www.thespiritofchristmasusa.com/ (click on the “news” section for project updates).
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Countdown to Shipping Day Begins
Thursday, October 28, 2004
October 28, 2004
This is one in a series of periodic progress reports on “Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas,” (www.TheSpiritOfChristmasUSA.com) a nonprofit, nonpartisan program to send 10,000 holiday gift boxes to U.S. troops.
Countdown Begins, Juggling Act Continues
With only about a week remaining before our holiday gift boxes begin their journey to Iraq, the workshop is hopping, with occasional exceptions. On most days, passersby may see youngsters drawing pictures and creating cards for the troops as they sit alongside an octogenarian who is handwriting notes on donated greeting cards. In one corner, another group of volunteers builds boxes, then hands them off to others who start them down the assembly line. Behind the scenes, other dedicated volunteers are making calls and pounding the pavement in search of donations.
Regrettably, activity sometimes stalls as supplies dwindle. We’ve even had to shut down early at times, which can be frustrating for everyone. We thank the volunteers for their patience and understanding. Special kudos to the unflappable duo of Roxetta and Phyllis, who open the workshop each morning and lock up at night, and somehow manage to smile despite the uncertainty each day brings.
Heartfelt Thanks to the USNA Parents Club of Washington State. . .and Many Others
Members of the local chapter of the U.S. Naval Academy Parents Club have donated boxes and boxes of toiletries, snacks, paperback books and other wish list items for Operation Iraq. We thank them for their generosity and are proud to have their support.
Dozens of youngsters from area schools are pitching in every day. They’ve produced greeting cards, collected paperback books and procured countless wish list items. Adult volunteers who glimpse through the cards and notes they’ve created never fail to smile – or get teary-eyed.
Space doesn’t allow us to highlight every individual and group who’ve helped, so please see the list of our wonderful donors on our website (http://www.thespiritofchristmasusa.com/).
Our Last-Minute Wishes
Ø As we head down the homestretch we are in immediate need of a few wish list items. Lip balm, hand sanitizer and other toiletries are in very short supply. We’re still “dialing for dollars” to help underwrite those daily (or twice daily) trips to the big box store to replenish the goodies for the boxes.
Ø Gotta truck? A company near Portland is offering to donate hundreds of its nail puzzles, desktop games and other fun and fascinating products if we can arrange transportation. There are approximately 200 cartons weighing around 940 pounds. We need to arrange delivery ASAP. If you can help, please call Cheri, 425.957-0654. Hugs to the Lindemanns of Olympia for transporting 3,200 Parlor Puzzles!
Ø Know a generous printer? We’re also the grateful recipient of CDs of Victorian Carols. The editor/producer, a member of the Oregon Army National Guard, has granted permission for us to reproduce copies of an accompanying songbook (70 single-sided pages). We’d like to print 400 sets (2-sided). To help, call Cheri, 425.957-0654.
Ø An ongoing need is for packing peanuts or shred and tape for sealing the boxes. Donations may be delivered to our Totem Lake workshop at 12552 Totem Lake Blvd., Kirkland WA 98034
Ø We seem to have sufficient numbers of volunteers at this writing because a number of youth groups, service clubs and other organizations have scheduled work parties over the next several days. Merchandise and monetary donations are always welcomed. To donate: Donate online (http://www.thespiritofchristmasusa.com/), in person at the workshop at Totem Lake Mall, or mail tax-deductible contributions to Operation Iraq, PO Box 646, Kirkland WA 98033.
Funding Shortfall Forces Changes in Workshop Hours
Monday, October 25, 2004
Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas is scaling back its workshop hours the week of Oct. 25 so volunteers can concentrate on fund-raising.
Various groups from retirement communities, service clubs, churches and other organizations are scheduled to pack boxes at the workshop this week, so the workshop will only be operating during those hours. Others who are interested in volunteering are encouraged to assist with fund-raising and procurement of bulk quantities of wish list items. Those items include beef jerky, lip balm, eye drops, toiletries and nonperishable snacks.
Project coordinators plan to be at the workshop location (12552 Totem Lake Boulevard, Kirkland) between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays to receive “goody box” merchandise and other donations. The group also welcomes donations of paperback books and magazines so reading material can be included in each parcel.
According to Ruth Ann Young, the Kirkland retailer who started “Operation Iraq” in 2003 and is leading the nonprofit, nonpartisan program again this year, more than 200 different volunteers have helped with the project. “Unfortunately,” she commented, “we have more volunteers than contributions at this time.”
Young said funding shortfalls could force the all-volunteer effort to scale back plans to send 10,000 holiday care packages. She estimates more than 7,000 cartons are packed, but some of those were completed because of a cash advance the group received. “We need to repay that before expending additional monies for supplies,” she explained.
The group faces a deadline of November 10 for shipping the parcels. “Whatever the final number ends of being, we know these gifts will be enjoyed by our troops,” she added.
Donations for “Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas” may be made online (www.thespiritofchristmasusa.com) or by sending checks payable to Operation Iraq to PO Box 646, Kirkland WA 98033. Merchandise for the gift boxes may be delivered to the workshop at 12552 Totem Lake Boulevard in Kirkland (located in the lower mall at Totem Lake Malls); Donations of paperback books and magazines may be left anytime in a collection box located outside the west (parking lot) entrance to the workshop.
Progress Report: 4,000 & Counting
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
October 20, 2004
OPT-OUT NOTICE
This is one in a series of periodic progress reports on “Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas,” a nonprofit, nonpartisan program to send 10,000 holiday gift boxes to U.S. troops. If you do not wish to receive future bulletins, simply reply to this message and put “unsubscribe” in the subject line or call 425.957-0654.
4,000 Cartons & Counting
More than 4,000 holiday gift boxes are packed and sealed. That means we’re at about 40 percent of our goal to assemble 10,000 care packages by November 10.
Our Most Immediate Needs
Thanks to all the callers who wonder about our most immediate needs. Topping this week’s list are three items:
Dollars. We need underwriting in order to make bulk purchases of “wish list” items. Alternatively, for those who prefer to donate merchandise, items in shortest supply at moment are eye wash/eye drops, soup-in-a-cup and dried fruit snacks. (See web site for other items.)
Paperback books and magazines. We’re trying to enclose some reading material in each gift box. A collection box is located outside the west entrance (from the parking lot) of our workshop at Totem Lake Mall.
Kids’ art and notes. Feedback from last year indicates the drawings and notes of appreciation from youngsters are a huge hit.
Salute to Seniors
Special thanks to residents of several retirement communities who are helping with the task of handwriting notes of appreciation and holiday messages on the greeting cards for each gift box.
High Fives to “The Land of 10,000 Lakes”
Two Minnesota-based companies stepped up in a big way in support of Operation Iraq. Heartfelt thanks to Tim and Ryan O’Neill (www.pianobrothers.com) for donating thousands of copies of their O’Neill Brothers’ Christmas CD titled “Coming Home,” -- and imprinting the copies with a special note to the troops. We are also very grateful to Masterpiece Studios (www.masterpiecestudios.com) for their generosity in donating thousands of their beautiful holiday greeting cards.
More Kudos
We are very appreciative of Fisher Radio and two of its stations, KOMO 1000 News and KVI-AM for selecting Operation Iraq to be the recipient of a series of Public Service Announcements, which will air through November 7. Thanks also to Paradigm Communications, Inc. for donating hundreds of copies of Alaska Airlines magazine (and to Dave for delivering them!). We also thank King County Journal for donating bundles and bundles of newspapers; the newspapers help extend our packing materials while providing the troops with a little news from their homeland.
Thumbs Up!
Two soldiers happened by our workshop this week. After touring the facility and visiting with volunteers, the smiling duo gave us an enthusiastic thumbs up!
Reminders on how to help
To volunteer: Come by the workshop at Totem Lake Mall (lower mall, 12552 Totem Lake Blvd.) on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. or Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
To donate: Donate online (www.thespiritofchristmasusa.com), in person at the workshop, or send tax-deductible contributions to Operation Iraq, PO Box 646, Kirkland WA 98033.
Workshop Hours, Location
About our workshop
The workshop for "Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas" operates on a drop-in basis. Individuals and groups are welcome to come by for a hour or spend the entire day helping!
Larger groups that want to schedule an evening or weekend time may do so by calling 425.739-9627.
Along with on-site help with packing boxes, we need volunteers to assist with handwriting notes on holiday greeting cards. This task may be done at the workshop or off-site.
Workshop Location:
The workshop is located in the lower mall at Totem Lake Malls (just of I-405 at the 124th St. Exit).
Address is 12552 Totem Lake Boulevard, Kirkland.
We're located between the main entrance and RiteAid (near Sleep Country and the grab Bag store).
From the lower mall parking lot (west side, facing Totem Lake Blvd.) look for a red banner that says "We're sending packages to our troops."
You can also find us from the interior of the mall (head toward RiteAid).
Workshop Hours:
Hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
(As donations increase, hours may be extended.)
Our most immediate needs:
Along with volunteers, we are actively seeking sponsors and underwriters for "wish list" items. Please see "How to donate, volunteer or contact us" section of the website for details.
We are also conducting a drive to collect paperback books and magazines to enclose in each care package. (If donating magazines, please remove the mailing label.) A collection box is located outside our workshop entrance (on the parking lot side) so books and magazines may be left anytime.
Thank you!