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If
you have ever heard the phrase: "It's not all about
us"? This was an event that bolstered that spirit of freely
giving for the good of others. With a dozen different agencies
contributing to the program, unnumbered volunteers, clowns,
magicians, five Santa Clause's and one special Mrs. Santa and
her helpers, professional photographers, face painters, and a
petting zoo, to any number of different activities the program
was for and about the 900 family members of those serving our
country in the Middle East.
One
of the most heartening displays was a kiosk with the photographs
of deployed military members that were placed there for the
families to take. Almost to a person, including children who
could have easily gone to any of the youth oriented events, they
came to the kiosk to find the photo of their fathers and
mothers, aunts and uncles.
In
addition to great food provided by the AUSA and all of the
entertainment stations, one of the most popular stops was the
opportunity for the children and family members to have their
photos taken with Santa and with each child receiving a teddy
bear with either "My Dad (or My Mom) Is
My Hero" written across his chest. Each bear also had
a camo-scarf to give it that official military look. If you ever
want to see excitement and appreciation in a child's eye, this
was the place to be. Feedback from families indicated that this
was also one of the most appreciated events of the day.
There
were several moments like this that made the day very special,
from the children writing messages to their relatives, to the
camaraderie one felt between the Veterans who have been there to
those who were experiencing this moment in our history and the
sacrifices that come with that service to our nation.
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During
an ASMDA luncheon held on 2 February the Coalition honored
Boeing; N&L Industries; CAS, Inc.; SPARTA, Inc.; and the
Cahaba Shrine and its Legion of Honor were honored by Coalition
President Bill Meier for the major support they provided to help
make Operation Teddy Bear such a success.
From
the support of our Active, Reserve and Alabama National Guard
and Marine units and our member Veterans groups there were so
many people and organizations that made this a success it would
be hard to identify all of them. So to all, the Coalition wants
to say "Job Well Done!" We
can be proud of what was done and what it meant to those
families who attended. |
