WRAPPED in HOLIDAY SPIRIT DISCOUNT!!!

Knock out your holiday shopping now!

For just $18.75 you can sponsor a holiday package for a deployed hero who will be away from his or her family this holiday season. The package called "Wrapped in Holiday Spirit" will include a blanket, socks, a mug, hot cocoa and snacks for the service member.

For your generous $18.75 tax-deductible donation, you can purchase the package in honor of a teacher, co-worker, coach, friend or family member, and Soldiers' Angels will send you a certificate that you can give them for the holidays.

Act now so we can get them shipped to them in time for Christmas Day!
Click HERE NOW!!!

http://www.angelsstore.org/product_p/hfhgiftbag.htm

MOMENT OF THANKS REMINDER

Soldiers’ Angels has teamed up with Moment of Thanks to share messages of appreciation and support for the armed forces. Please take the time to personally upload your own message of thanks – it will take just a couple of minutes. Click here to write a short message to the troops or, if you prefer, you can share photos or a video. Just go to http://www.momentofthanks.com/user/register?org=soldiersangel&cmp=EMC-SldrsAnglsEM&attr=sa_email to get started. (If you can’t click on the link, just cut and paste it into your browser.)
Everybody who posts a message to the site will be entered into a free drawing to win a Kodak camera. As the sponsor of Moment of Thanks, Kodak will be giving away 3 cameras (the V803 model which takes photos and videos) in a free drawing for people who post a message of any form on the site by August 17th.
Our goal is to get 100,000 messages to the troops by the end of the summer, so we need you to help us spread the word to your friends and, most importantly, to the troops in the field!
If we all participate, we can blow right through that goal all by ourselves, show the unparalleled dedication of Soldiers’ Angels and maybe even win a camera!
Wingtip to Wingtip,
Patti
P.S. You can go to http://www.momentofthanks.com/?cmp=EMC-SldrsAnglsEM&attr=sa_email and see who has already left messages…it’s an impressive group.

RUNNING FOR THE FALLEN

Run for the Fallen is a collective of runners whose mission is clear and simple: To run one mile for every American service member killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. As Soldiers' Angels mission is to support all of our Heroes and with your help, we are asking for your help to spread our wings around this event. With the thousands of dedicated Angels nationwide, we have the ability to stand wingtip to wingtip, coast to coast, literally, and join these runners in honor of our fallen. You can run with them, you can take water or snacks or simply cheer them along the route. We want the love and support of Soldiers' Angels to be felt nationwide.Every mile in this memorial run, Run for the Fallen, will be dedicated to a fallen soldier and marked with an American flag and personalized sign card. These dedication markers will create a memorial trail across the United States, which will allow the memorial to connect with towns and citizens and propagate the memories and lives of those who fought in Iraq. We run in honor of the soldier.
The run is a symbolic memorial. While each flag will represent a soldier who has fallen, the run will stand as one large stitch spanning the width of the nation, coast to coast. The run is an active healing process, and the miles manifest themselves as healing stitches. One mile of sweat and pain to pay homage to one soldier's life. It is through the embodiment of each mile that we reflect upon and activate the memory of those who gave their lives.We ask that you, as a integral part of Soldiers' Angels assist in honoring a fallen service member by meeting the runners along the path in your area to show your support. We encourage you to help the healing process, and bring the lives of those lost to the forefront.Please look over the route below for the date they will be coming through you area.
Love,Patti Patton-Bader

You can go to www.runforthefallen.org to get more details of the run in your area.
Day 49: August 2, 2008: KY/TN border to Cunningham, TN 59.86 miles.
Day 50: August 3, 2008: Cunningham, TN to Nashville, TN 57.35 miles.
Day 51: August 4, 2008: Nashville, TN to Murfreesboro, TN 57.37 miles.
Day 52: August 5, 2008: Murfreesboro, TN to McMinnville, TN 64.02 miles.
Day 53: August 6, 2008: McMinnville, TN to Crossville, TN 61.81 miles.
Day 54: August 7, 2008: Crossville, TN to Oak Ridge, TN 59.65 miles.
Day 55: August 8, 2008: Oak Ridge, TN to New Tazewell, TN 58.26 miles.
Day 56: August 9, 2008: New Tazewell, TN to Van Hill, TN 55.51 miles.
Day 57: August 10, 2008: Van Hill, TN to Abingdon, VA 62.57 miles.

GIVE A VETERAN SOME TANK SUPPORT

Soldiers’ Angels VA Team Announces New Project

PASADENA, CA July 19, 2008 - Thousands of troops are returning home and making regular trips to their local VA Hospital for evaluation, treatment or rehabilitation, and regular health care. With the high cost of gas, these vital trips are becoming more and more of a burden for some veterans.

Now the Soldiers’ Angels VA Team is stepping up to help with the Tank Support program. Grateful Americans can help give a veteran some “tank support” by purchasing a gasoline gift card. All gas cards received will be sent to the VA Hospitals across the country to help ensure returning OEF/OIF Veterans get the checkups and medical care they need.

“It’s so important that our returning heroes get regular evaluations and basic healthcare after having been in combat,” says Soldiers’ Angels founder Patti Patton-Bader. “The Tank Support program is an important way to help veterans to stay on top of their ongoing healthcare needs.”

Supportive Americans can help returning veterans by purchasing a $10.00 gas card today at any chain gas station in their area, or ordering online through www.svmcards.net and using the shipping address below. People can also make a donation to the Soldiers’ Angels Veterans’ Support Team at www. soldiersangels.org and indicate that it is for the Tank Support program.

Gas cars should be mailed to:

Soldiers’ Angels Tank Support
914 Tourmaline Dr.
Newbury Park, CA 91320

VETERAN'S HONOR BRUNCH AT EAST TN NURSING HOME

The Veteran's Honor Brunch at Newport Health and Rehabilitation Center went great! We had 11 of the 21 vets in the facility come to the brunch. (We visited the others in their rooms after the event!) We served fresh berry muffins, fruit salad and SOS! I decorated with all RED, WHITE, and BLUE! (Thanks to sales after the 4th..) Since I was the only ANGEL in the area, my husband and brother-in-law went with me. (Both ARMY vets!) They were amazing with visiting with the vets! (I don't know who got more out of it!) We served the vets as they came in and assited where there was a need. I read the poem, THE SOLDIER IS MY FRIEND, (which I gleaned from the SA Forum, thanks) There was not a dry eye in the room. We shared who was in what service. Next, my brother in law, dressed in his DAV Honor Guard uniform, presented each vet, individually a GRATEFUL NATION COIN, (also gleaned from the Forum) I did not have time to get SA coins, but will for the next nursing home event. They were all SO PROUD, and honored. The first vet presented took it, said "This is beautiful" and handed it back. My brother in law said, "Sir, it is my honor to give this to you. It is yours to keep with you at all times to remember we thank you for your courageous service to our country!" He beamed from ear to ear, tears rolling down his face. CAN YOU SAY TISSUE ALERT!! Then we watched the video, BEFORE YOU GO-the WWI Korean War version, (that I also found out about from the Forum). Then I talked a little about the SA adopt a soldier program, and the letters. This group will be adopting a SOLDIER as an ongoing project. Lastly, I had pre-written some cards that said THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THE GIFT OF OUR FREEDOM! These vets signed the cards, or put their X, and I am going to send them to the group of WWII vets going to see the monument this fall. Incredible day!!

An article came out covering the event in our local paper, the Newport Plain Talk, this week. Great PR for SA!!

July 4th in MEMPHIS

July 4th was a blast and I want to extend a HUGE thank you to all the angels that participated, donated items and donated time. We ended having 7 cakes donated!! We were able to help feed approximately 375 patients at the VA, assisting the Rolling Thunder BBQ for the Memphis VAMC. Great time had serving our veterans!

Written by Melissa Allie, Memphis VA Team Leader

BLANKETS, BLANKETS, and MORE BLANKETS

Do you know all of the different BLANKETS that SOLDIERS ANGELS make happen for our troops and veterans? Here is a glimpse of the BLANKET DRIVES, but be sure to go to the main page of http://www.soldiersangels.org/ and look into for yourself, and your friends who can help us accomplish our mission!

BLANKETS OF BELIEF-This winter, an estimated 180,000 U.S. military personnel will be serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and other locations around the world, in combat environments or in support of combat operations. Some will be on their 3rd or 4th deployments--spending yet another Holiday away from the loving arms of family and friends.
We want them to know that they are remembered, that we are thinking of them during the winter Holiday Season, and that we are grateful for their service. Since we can't wrap our arms around them in person to show how much we love and appreciate them, our goal is to wrap all 180,000 of our deployed service members in blankets representative of our support and faith in them, Blankets of Belief.

BLANKETS OF GRATITUDE-Please join us in wrapping our beloved Veterans in love and gratitude. We have 25,000 lap robes to make, and we need your help! We want them to know that they are remembered, that we are thinking of them during the winter Holiday Season, and that we are grateful for their past service. The lap robes will be a physical reminder that they are not alone during the Holidays. When a veteran receives a Blanket of Gratitude, he or she will know that somebody remembered them, that somebody labored over a handmade robe with thoughts of them and hopes or prayers for their health and comfort.

BLANKETS OF HOPE-The Blankets of Hope team creates unique, handmade blankets to send hope, support and gratitude to America's wounded and veterans. Used on hospital beds, wheelchairs, and transport litters on medevac flights, Blankets of Hope bring the message that each servicemember is loved and not forgotten. They are included in our First Response Backpacks and Vet Packs sent to Combat Support Hospitals in the war zones, major medical facilities in Germany and around the world, and selected military hospitals and veterans centers here at home.

MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS

Memorial Day weekend saw lots of Angel activity at our VAs here in Tennessee. Memphis VA ANGELS helped out at the BBQ event for the veterans there. Rolling Thunder was there, along with a band and a great time was had by all. Mountain Home VA had a ceremony attended by over 450 people at the Mountain Home Cemetary. Special guest was David Davis, US House of Representatives. What an honor to be part of these celebrations of our honored Veterans!