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WASHINGTON D.C. (March 26, 2008) - A grant of just $163 dollars
from a group that supports military families turned out to be a
really big deal -- not only for the recipients, but for the
granting organization, as well.
The grant put "Our Military Kids," a group that supports
families of deployed or wounded National Guard and reserve members,
over the $1 million mark in grants given, said Gail Kruzel, one of
the organization's founders.
This particular grant means that two young sons of Missouri Army
National Guard Maj. Matt Bacon, who currently is serving his second
tour in Iraq, will get to play baseball in a local league.
The boys -- Jacob, 9, and William, 10 -- will participate in an
April 7 ceremony marking their part in Our Military Kids'
milestone.
The ceremony just happens to correspond with a visit to
grandparents who live here. The trip was impossible during Bacon's
last deployment, Kruzel said.
"At that time, their grandparents were also serving in Iraq,"
she said. "The grandmother, Susan, is with the (Judge Advocate
General) Corps in the Army Reserves and now serves at the Pentagon.
The granddad, Arthur, just retired as an Army Reserve
chaplain."
As April is "Month of the Military Child," the ceremony also is
designed to recognize military children's part in the nation's
defense.
"We wanted to recognize the sacrifices everyone in the family
makes when a parent is deployed and wanted to acknowledge the
children for their role in serving our country," said Linda
Davidson, Our Military Kids' other founder. "The letters of
appreciation from parents and children reinforce the importance of
reaching out to support these families during times of
deployment."
Kruzel and Davidson started the organization in October 2004
because they believed there was a need to provide support to the
children of reserve and National Guard families who become "sudden
military families." The grants the group awards average $350 and
help children play sports, study fine arts, or enroll in tutoring
programs while a parent is deployed.
Our Military Kids is a supporter of America Supports You, a
Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with
servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals,
groups and organizations that are helping support the troops,
visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America
Supports You directly connects military members to the support of
the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their
quest to find meaningful ways to support the military
community.
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