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Elected officials gather in support of Operation Holidays for Heroes
By BRAD MEYER
Area business women and elected officials gathered Monday 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 Woodlands, the mayors of Conroe, Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North, Magnolia and Panorama Village and members 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 kick-off 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 cards.
“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.
“This is a great opportunity for the county to show its appreciation for our citizens in uniform,” said Thornton.
The city of Shenandoah will feature a U.S. Army helicopter and a collection box for the campaign at their annual National Night Out event taking place this evening, according to Watts. The event, free to the public, takes place from 6-9 p.m. tonight at City Park, located at 801 Maplewood.
“Receiving packages from home means a lot to our troops during the holidays,” Brady said. “It’s the least we can do to show our support of their sacrifice.”
Ken Denney, a previous Holidays for Heroes package recipient when he served in Bagram, Afghanistan, who now works at Aviation Support Facility at LSEA, agreed.
“These packages were a real morale booster for us,” he said. “Especially knowing they come from the people in our own community.”
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.
Donation bins will be on display through the end of October, according to Carlton. The packages will be assembled and shipped on Nov. 11 in order to make it to Iraq and Afghanistan in time for the holidays.
“These soldiers are doing so much for us,” Dylla said. “It’s only right we do something for them during the holidays. They’re our heroes.”
For more information, go to www.montgomerycountycares.com.
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 Woodlands, the mayors of Conroe, Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North, Magnolia and Panorama Village and members 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 kick-off 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 cards.
“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.
“This is a great opportunity for the county to show its appreciation for our citizens in uniform,” said Thornton.
The city of Shenandoah will feature a U.S. Army helicopter and a collection box for the campaign at their annual National Night Out event taking place this evening, according to Watts. The event, free to the public, takes place from 6-9 p.m. tonight at City Park, located at 801 Maplewood.
“Receiving packages from home means a lot to our troops during the holidays,” Brady said. “It’s the least we can do to show our support of their sacrifice.”
Ken Denney, a previous Holidays for Heroes package recipient when he served in Bagram, Afghanistan, who now works at Aviation Support Facility at LSEA, agreed.
“These packages were a real morale booster for us,” he said. “Especially knowing they come from the people in our own community.”
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.
Donation bins will be on display through the end of October, according to Carlton. The packages will be assembled and shipped on Nov. 11 in order to make it to Iraq and Afghanistan in time for the holidays.
“These soldiers are doing so much for us,” Dylla said. “It’s only right we do something for them during the holidays. They’re our heroes.”
For more information, go to www.montgomerycountycares.com.
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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