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Elected officials support Operation Holidays for Heroes
  
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By Brad Meyer
Area business women and elected officials gathered recently in support of a program to provide holiday gift baskets for county servicemen and women that will spend the holidays far from home.
U. S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodland, the mayors of Conroe, Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North, Magnolia and Panorama Village and a member of the Montgomery County Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors assembled at the Aviation Support Facility at Lone Star Executive Airport for the kickoff of the third annual Operation Holidays for Heroes campaign.
“We’ll have drop off and donation boxes at all real estate, mortgage and title company offices in the county,” said Linda Dylla, president of MCCWCR. “Our goal is to be able to send at least 1,000 holiday gift boxes to county residents serving in the military overseas.”
The kickoff event took place in the shadow of two AH-64 Alpha Apache helicopters, part of the 1st-158 Aviation Regiment of the U.S. Army Reserved based at LSEA. Now in its third year, the campaign collects donated supplies throughout October for shipment to U.S. military personnel from Montgomery County serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Donations requested include phone cards, disposable digital cameras, DVDs, handheld games, beef jerky, nuts, hard candy, granola bars, sunflower seeds, Christmas cards and handmade children’s cars.
“Financial support is also important,” said Stephanie Carlton, MCCWCR chairwoman for the campaign. “It will cost in excess of $10,000 to ship the packages to the war zone.”
Mayors Web Melder of Conroe, Garry Watts of Shenandoah, Fred O’Connor of Oak Ridge North, Howard Kravetz of Panorama Village and Jimmy Thornton of Magnolia were on hand to lend their support to the campaign. The mayors from Montgomery, Willis and Cut and Shoot were invited, but did not respond, according to Carlton.
“This is a great opportunity for the county to show its appreciation for our citizens in uniform,” said Thornton.
Receiving packages from home means a lot to U.S. troops during the holidays, said Brady.
In addition to donating supplies, area residents can submit the names of local servicemen and women serving overseas to receive a holiday package, said Dylla.
“Residents can visit our website at www.montgomerycountycares.com to learn how to get involved or submit names of loved ones,” she said.
Donation bins will be on display through the end of October.
At a glance
Operation Holidays for Heroes, a campaign to send Christmas gift baskets to Montgomery County servicemen and women serving overseas, kicked off its donation drive on Monday. The Montgomery County Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, sponsors of the annual event, hopes to send more than 1,000 baskets to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. To donate to the campaign, designate a soldier for a basket or get personally involved, visit their website at www.montgomerycountycares.com.
U. S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodland, the mayors of Conroe, Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North, Magnolia and Panorama Village and a member of the Montgomery County Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors assembled at the Aviation Support Facility at Lone Star Executive Airport for the kickoff of the third annual Operation Holidays for Heroes campaign.
“We’ll have drop off and donation boxes at all real estate, mortgage and title company offices in the county,” said Linda Dylla, president of MCCWCR. “Our goal is to be able to send at least 1,000 holiday gift boxes to county residents serving in the military overseas.”
The kickoff event took place in the shadow of two AH-64 Alpha Apache helicopters, part of the 1st-158 Aviation Regiment of the U.S. Army Reserved based at LSEA. Now in its third year, the campaign collects donated supplies throughout October for shipment to U.S. military personnel from Montgomery County serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Donations requested include phone cards, disposable digital cameras, DVDs, handheld games, beef jerky, nuts, hard candy, granola bars, sunflower seeds, Christmas cards and handmade children’s cars.
“Financial support is also important,” said Stephanie Carlton, MCCWCR chairwoman for the campaign. “It will cost in excess of $10,000 to ship the packages to the war zone.”
Mayors Web Melder of Conroe, Garry Watts of Shenandoah, Fred O’Connor of Oak Ridge North, Howard Kravetz of Panorama Village and Jimmy Thornton of Magnolia were on hand to lend their support to the campaign. The mayors from Montgomery, Willis and Cut and Shoot were invited, but did not respond, according to Carlton.
“This is a great opportunity for the county to show its appreciation for our citizens in uniform,” said Thornton.
Receiving packages from home means a lot to U.S. troops during the holidays, said Brady.
In addition to donating supplies, area residents can submit the names of local servicemen and women serving overseas to receive a holiday package, said Dylla.
“Residents can visit our website at www.montgomerycountycares.com to learn how to get involved or submit names of loved ones,” she said.
Donation bins will be on display through the end of October.
At a glance
Operation Holidays for Heroes, a campaign to send Christmas gift baskets to Montgomery County servicemen and women serving overseas, kicked off its donation drive on Monday. The Montgomery County Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, sponsors of the annual event, hopes to send more than 1,000 baskets to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. To donate to the campaign, designate a soldier for a basket or get personally involved, visit their website at www.montgomerycountycares.com.
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