FORT BRAGG, N.C. - How do you make 1,000 pregnant women happy' You give them a party and show your support.
How do you beat that' You give 15,000 Soldiers and Airmen holiday packages and recognize their service and sacrifices.
In 2008 Fayetteville Cares held "Boots and Booties: The World's Largest Military Baby Shower" that provided gifts of support and thanks to 1000 pregnant military spouses and servicemembers. This year the Fayetteville, grass-roots organization is sending 15,000 holiday packages to Soldiers and Airmen deployed from Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base in the month of December.
Last Saturday more than $13,000 was raised to pay for the shipping costs of these gifts. More than 2,700 raffle tickets for a Chevrolets Cobalt were sold and Food Lion sold more than $30,000 in specially reduced priced gift items. Customers also had the chance to send personal words of thanks to servicemembers on holiday greeting cards.
A steady stream of people from throughout the Fayetteville area made their way to the 16 Food Lion stores in the greater Fayetteville-area to buy the gift items and raffle tickets.
"Thanks," "support," "appreciate," and "backing" were just a few of the words the more than 100 volunteers heard throughout the day.
"I really appreciate what the Soldiers and Airmen are doing for us," said Nicole Boyce of Fayetteville.
"I don't have any Family in the military but many of my friends do and the sacrifices they make for all of us each day are touching."
Boyce's words were echoed throughout the day.
"Our guys need to know we support them," said a Vietnam-era Army veteran who wanted to remain anonymous.
"I know what it's like to be deployed away from your Family, especially during the holidays.
If I knew the people back home backed and supported us, it would have made life a whole lot better," he said.
"This is our way to show the military we recognize their sacrifices," said Greg Beaman with Food Lion, one of Fayetteville Cares' corporate sponsors. "We support our Soldiers by helping support their Families. This helps to give them peace of mind while they're deployed defending our freedoms. We'll always support them. It's in our genetics."
The gift items will remain on sale through the end of October at all of the 16 Food Lions in the Fayetteville area.
"The Carolina Chevy Dealers association doesn't want any deployed Soldier to worry about their Family," said Mike Lallier, who led the effort in getting the association to donate two Cobalts for Operation Holiday Cheer. "They have enough to worry about and this is just our way of supporting not just the Soldier but their Families as well."
In addition to the holiday cards from Saturday's customers, the Junior League of Fayetteville has been working with local churches, civic organizations and the Cumberland County School System to place a hand written letters in each gift.
"We'll have no trouble making our goal," said Michelle Lewis, president of the non-profit organization. "The support has been overwhelming. The schools alone signed up for 13,000 letters and most churches and Scouting organizations agreed to 1,000 each. This is the least we can do for the men and women who are committed to serving our nation."
Soldiers, Airmen, Family members or others can sign up to receive a holiday package. Registration will be open to the first 15,000 Soldiers or Airmen who register on the Fayetteville Cares Web site, fayettevillecares.org.
Raffle tickets for one of the Cobalts will be sold until Oct 3. Tickets sell for $5 each. The second Cobalt will be given to one of the deployed Soldiers or Airmen.
Community volunteers will pack boxes the week of Nov. 9. Each box will contain a 10 to 12 items including the personal note from someone in the community as well as instructions on how to register to win the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt.
Anyone can sponsor a gift box for $25 each. To sponsor a gift box, please visit fayettevillecares.org for more information.
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