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WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 3, 2009) - Troops
serving overseas will get a little bit of "Christmas in May,"
thanks to a troop-support group that is collecting gifts and snacks
to be mailed to them on Armed Forces Day, May 16.
"This is a way to thank the troops on their special day,"
Julieann Najar, founder of "A
Soldier's Wish List," said. "There are those who seem to 'fall
between the cracks' and are in combat zones in between the holidays
and do not receive our December Christmas packages. We want to let
these men and women know they are also important and not
forgotten."
Najar's goal for the "Christmas in May" campaign is to send
2,000 gifts that will be wrapped in Christmas paper and bows to
troops deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Kosovo, South Korea,
Qatar, Africa, Italy and Japan.
"Having a son who was wounded in Iraq, and knowing how important
it was to get items he missed from home to him, makes it even more
important to continue to do the same for all of our 'adopted sons
and daughters,'" Najar said.
DVDs, CDs, drink mix packets, beef jerky and snack sausages,
candy, magazines, twin sheet sets and white socks are just a few of
the gifts A Soldier's Wish List volunteers have started and will
continue to collect for the troops. The group plans to have a huge
wrapping and mailing party May 16 in St. Louis.
The group will use donated gift certificates to purchase
special-request items in individual servicemembers' names, Najar
said. "In the past, through our December Christmas mailing, we have
sent microwaves and other special-request items," she added. "As we
are about wishes, we have the troops that we have adopted tell us
what [they miss] from home, and we try to provide it."
A Soldier's Wish List sends care packages throughout the year to
troops serving overseas. The group conducts fundraisers, sells
merchandise and collects donations to finance its efforts. The
group also has adopted troops and matched civilians wanting to
adopt with other troops. To date, A Soldier's Wish List has had
more than 60,000 troops sign up for adoption and has lined up more
than 30,000 adopters.
"Our group's goal is to fulfill the wishes of our troops to the
best of our abilities," Najar said. "This is our small way of
letting our brave troops know that we care about them and
appreciate their sacrifices."
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