HELP US MEET OUR GOAL!
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Letters: 3,693 We wish to acknowledge Carol F. from Upland, CA for writing the most letters weekly totalling over 100 letters so far.
Kids make cards:
2.288
Winner of best card Jan. 2008: from Justin of Carrolton Elem. Dallas, TX.
Winner of best card June 2008 from Josh from Primrose
School of Westchase, Tampa, FL
(see more of
the 1000s of cards we have received this past month)
Winner of 4th of July best card from Primrose School in GA
August
Winner, Aaron King, took an hour to make this card for our Troops
in SLC, Utah
Packages: 257
Stockings: 150
It is here! Tribute Concert for our Troops:
http://patriotfiles.org/Pledge.htm
Special
Labor Day card from a caring citizen:
http://www158.123greetings.com/card/09/01/08/05
ATTENTION: If you send us email address of a deployed servicemember that wishes to get email letters from US citizens, please email us their email address. Won't you invite us to your Events or if every visitor just gave $1, we could send over 3,500 packages to soldiers by now? AUCTION TO RAISE SHIPPING COSTS CLICK HERE FOR AMAZING ITEMS, COURSES, SERVICES.
WE surpassed our goal of sending 150 Packages for Camp of ARMY soldiers needing them badly for shipping cost of $1,400 at Christmas. ($1,264 of the total it cost to ship these packages collected!) And we met our 2007 goal of 2,000 letters, and 1,500 cards made by kids. Help us meet our goal of 5,000 letters, 3,000 cards and and 500 packages of items like Jerky, dried fruit, hand warmers, dried drink and soup packets, power bars, pure white ankle socks, CDs, MP3s, and Cell Phones and/or calling cards in 2008. We are looking for 1,000s of Christmas Cards from School children, Could you please ask your principals to collect them and send them to us?
Help with a donation today for $8.95 (shipping cost for a flat rate box) to our Soldiers in Iraq by contacting us under "Find out more" in box at the right--------->>ATTENTION PLEASE: We have been offered 120,000 Tahitian Noni Chews, (11 pallets), and NEWAYS Natural Personal Care products is matching that this year for the Troops in Iraq but we don't have the funds to ship them. Won't you please help us? Attention Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, We will give you an autographed Mindi Abair CD "Stars" if you can arrange Military to Military Base Shipping of these donated items!! PEnding Winner Steven Fleming, Air Force serving in Iraq: "07/22/08 From Airman in Iraq we send letters to that needs our help collecting supplies:re: shipping 11 pallets of Tahitian Noni Chews and Neways Personal CAre products to Iraq: "i'm not sure if they would make it here fast enough, but please let me know all the information such as your contact number, what exactly is in the pallets, and how close you are to what air force base. i have talked to the chaplain here, and they requested that information and for me to forward them the information and how to contact you. they would love to have all the donations, but we have to consider things like getting them here in time and such. it is a great idea either way, and i really hope that we can take the pallets. steven " (His pictures in Iraq receiving packages are on "Troop Thanks" page) Unforetunately we did not get help from Utah military to ship these "military to military" to Iraq. Still hoping to get help for Christmas drive.
AUCTION TO RAISE SHIPPING COSTS CLICK HERE FOR AMAZING ITEMS, COURSES, SERVICES.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thank you Cricket Communications for bringing the only Air Card that allows Helloworld.com/saveadogandkids, (Letters to Soldiers nonprofit parent), to offer free Video Emailing so the family members of those serving in Iraq at our Letters to Soldiers Booth.
ARMY RESERVE'S 100TH BDAY BIG TWO DAY EVENT July 23rd and 24th
Concert and Family DAy Letters to Soldiers invited by ARmy Reserve General Cook's
office was really fun for all families and servicemembers of the ARmy
Reserve. Thank you for inviting us!
Click here for
pictures and videos from our military, their families and Major General
Cooke
Come watch how you can send a video email from anywhere your laptop and Cricket go Click here!! .
Watch For MIami Benefit Concert for the TRoops in Miami, FL later this year thanks to local Singers like: "My name is Jenny Lopez. I'm a singer from Miami, and an active volunteer in my community. I am very grateful of our brave soldiers overseas, and would like to speak with someone from your organization regarding a care package drive, or fund raising event. I am currently a writer for a local tv station, and want to use the resources at my disposal (tv, radio, live performances).
From Angela Winston: "Hey Ms. Denise thank you so much for the photos, they are cherished memories. Thank you so much for inviting me to take part in such a wonderful event. It was a very special day. Please spread the word that I will be having a Christmas Concert at the Rose Wagner theater downtown SLC, UT on Dec 15th/7p.m. My special guest will be the Osmond New Generation."
Welcome HOme Troops Celebration
See more pictures of the event
Come watch some of the performances from the Tribute Concert (under Shows): www.helloworld.com/saveadogandkids
Come watch a sample Video Email thanks to Live Video Streaming/Video
Blogging/Video Email with Helloworld.com here
Want to learn how you can get this service to let your soldiers know you love them? Ask us here.
A Big Thank you from Letters to Soldiers Tribute Concert and Welcome Home Celebration and all Military FAmilies that participated goes to The Deseret NEws and KUTV2, KBZN, FM100, as well as all our friends who got the word out for us !!
Thank you so much for covering our event so well and helping us get the word out to ship 22 pallets of donated items before they expire. This was a huge endeavor getting so many people to volunteer their time, services and products. What amazing heartfelt performances by the Osmond 2nd Generation, Angela Winston, Pleasant Tree, LanternLane, and Jaden Bliss who just moved everyone that heard these amazing live patriotic songs. We wish to thank all the wonderful Vendors who donated over $100,000 worth of services like Taylor Audio with stage, PA System, Sound Board and Engineering, Davis Audio Visual who lent the 42” Plasma Screen and helped us show our military families’ videos and footage from Iraq, Eurest Dining thanks to Oz and Sandy who got Pepsi to donate drinks, Food suppliers to donate hot dogs, cheeseburgers and more and volunteered to feed everyone to raise money for Letterstosoldiers.org to ship letters, and all donated items from Tahitian Noni and Neways Products. And Cricket Communications who teamed up with our Helloworld.com/saveadogandkids to offer their new Cell Phone highspeed wireless card internet service so military families were able to do live video emails to their family members serving in Iraq. And Scoopology’s Chase and Denise offered free ice cream cones all day long. Life Long Memories Films team Ken and Linda Sorenson that have covered all Letters To Soldiers fundraising events and filmed this entire event to make our “Welcome Home Tribute Concert” DVD to raise the rest of the funds to ship Letters to Soldiers letters, cards and donations to our Troops from Utah serving in Iraq. Thank you Linda and Ken for donating so much of your professional services and time for our troops. And KBZN who advertised the event, interviewed us with Lanternlane and MC’d the performances, as well as gave prizes at their booth. Rick Lindsey you are a gem. And we wish to thank all the wonderful volunteers from our 116th National Guard Family Readiness Group, especially a dear little girl that raised over $35 at the Balloon popping game. We wish to thank the wonderful friends from Hill Air Force Base for coming and managing the Silent auction and the Letters to Soldiers Booth along with the wonderful Thornell family who’s daughter serves in our Utah Army and Kelly for managing the Video Emailing with Helloworld. And we will all never forget the Army Reserve 96th Fort Douglas Unit with LTe. Col. Felsch, and Col. Garcia and all their wonderful men who tirelessly helped set up the banners, stage, booths, and manned the Pepsi booth, and grilled burgers all day for 11 hours. You guys are our heroes!!! Thank you our Friends from The Utah Flash and Flash Fox for coming to giveway one family season ticket pass, two basketball camp certificates and 1 Bday party with Flash Fox for your kids. We were so honored to give gifts to two Army Reserve Wives who’s husbands are serving as officers with other states’ units in Iraq right now, Maria Howard and Pam Banta, and give them getaways to go on in July when their husbands come home, and also acknowledge the wonderful National Guard 116th unit Family Readiness Group leader Jennie Taylor and hard working mother for a soldier Becky Norton both with soldiers who volunteered to do an extra 12 months in Iraq. And we don’t want to forget anyone else because so many wonderful people came to volunteer for this event, worked tirelessly to get the word out like our friend Ammon, Rebecca Moore our photographer, Rebecca Cressman of FM100 that invited Letters to Soldiers on the air Friday morning to talk about the event, Laura Jones on KPCW who invites Letters to Soldiers to come and read letters from Americans from all over the US and also invited one of our performers Lanternlane to come and play the “Welcome Home Soldier” collaborative song of 4 groups that she wrote. Thank you our friend Angie Larsen for mentioning our amazing performers for the Tribute Concert on Good Things Utah, on ABC4. Thank you Sam and Mitch at FedEx Kinkos for our beautiful Banners and Flyers. And Thank you Eagle 101.5 for your support, Shotgun at KBULL radio, Steve and Angie at KSL, Justin and Andy at ABC4, our friends at Mayor Becker’s office, the fellow military support organizations we invited to help collect letters like Elaine with Operation Give, Elaine with Troop Cards, Ray with Fisher House, Feed Uncle Sam, our Sweet Veterans of the VFW, and so many other friends like Maria Howard, Michelle Thornell, and others I apologize if I left out anyone that really were there to help me coordinate this event and make it so wonderful. What a family of generous and loving people you all have been. Thank you all,
Denise De Vynck
Watch this summer for the Welcome Home Tribute Concert DVD on our site
And please write us at info@letterstosoldiers.org if you wish to participate in sending our troops all the support we can from home.
Come read the Deseret News Article
From our Friends:
Rick at KBZN: "Denise,
Kudos, again, for your efforts in making that welcome home event happen. It should be the start of bigger and better things."
"Denise, Thank you. Your an amazing lady. I believe that great things lie ahead for you. Sincerely, thank you for all of your hard work and for being so kind to Jaden. Jeff Bliss"
From Mom of little girl who wrote to her daddy in Iraq: "Pictures look great..............we saw the article with the picture of Em in the Deseret News on Sunday. She was very excited."
You are listening to Gospel Singer Angela Winston that came to sing this song at our Welcome Home Troops Celebration June 14th!! Angela you are so gracious and sweet. What an amazing voice! Come download the song at:
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Love Will Prevail
- by Angela Winston MP3 - 3.4 MB From the album - United We Stand |
http://www.heartrisemusic.com/Downloads/index.html
"Hello
Denise, I am so looking forward to this event. I know it will bless
many people. Looking forward
to meeting you.
Blessings, Angela Winston" "
Angela Winston, a native of Texas, has resided in SLC, UT with her
husband (Retired Army), and her 2 (young adult children).
Some of her highlights during her music career are: Singing her first
single for George W. Bush Election Night in Austin, TX, for an audience
of 35,000 people. During the Olympics, she opened at the Olympics
Medals Plaza for Brooks and Dunn, Train, Lifehouse and Dave Matthews.
Locally, she has shared stages with Thurl Bailey and David
Archuleta. Angela has also sung at a 9-11 Memorial Event for Governor
Leavitt and Fundraiser for Senator Hatch.
Angela enjoys singing all styles of music, but her first love is singing
Gospel Music, Inspirational/Motivational and Patriotic music. She has
sung in many
Motivational Conventions for Companies such as USANA, NUSKIN, NATURE'S
SUNSHINE , and more. She sang in a BYU production and has sung at many
firesides.
Come listen to the sneak peak of "Welcome Home Soldier"
Song Written by Lantern Lane and performed by 4 groups here!
And listen to the song recorded by Lanternlane and Pleasant Tree here.
Also watch ABC4 "Family Welcome Home Troops" TV spot
Thank you Andy at ABC4 newsdesk for interviewing the bands and giving
the public a peak at the "Welcome HOme Soldier" collaborative song Sat.
June 7th. Watch at 5pm
"The Osmonds - Second Generation"came up for a special surprise tribute!
The Osmonds 2nd Generation are all brothers and sons of 70’s pop star, Alan Osmond. They got their start in show business by singing on the Donny & Marie show and by mimicking their father and uncles. After appearing on a local talent showcase in Salt Lake City, UT, People Magazine wrote an article about this new generation of singing Osmonds. Bob Hope read the article and gave the boys their first National television appearance on his Christmas show in 1986. They have appeared on the front covers of teen magazines everywhere. They signed with both Curb Records and Epic/Sony in Europe and have had three songs in the top 40 in the U.K. They have also appeared on MTV, Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee, CBS This Morning, Entertainment Tonight, CNN and other major shows and networks. They have performed to sold-out stadiums and arenas in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
For more information, go to: www.osmond.com
Thanks to all for bidding at our Silent Auction to raise shipping costs to ship 120,000 Tahitian Noni Soft Chews and Neways products to our Troops serving in Iraq for : Tracy Lawrence Tickets, tickets to LAdy Antebellem and Frank Caliendo at Ogden AMpitheatre, Tickets to Salt Lake Bees, $25 Certificates to Shane Co., 4 Free Admission Tickets to Wiseguys, $50 Gift Certificate to High Maintenance Salon, $25 Certificate to Madeline's Steakhouse & Grill, Getaways, Cruises, Las Vegas overnight trip, and 50% off Disneyland Trips and more. Just come by the Letters to Soldiers Booth and fill out your name, address, phone number and your bid amount and you will be contacted if you are a winner. All proceeds go to shipping letters, cards and packages to our Troops overseas.
**Free Phone Calling for military families
to servicemembrs overseas thanks to
10 PHONES WERE
AVAILABLE FOR MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES TO CALL OVERSEAS ON CRICKET'S
CARD, AND THEY HAVE COUPONS FOR MILITARY TO GET 10% OFF THEIR CALLING
PLANS!!! THANK YOU CRICKET!!!! Watch for
their June 19th Unveiling of the Fastest, Cheapest and best Wireless Card.
**Free Video Emailing thanks
to
www.helloworld.com/saveadogandkids
**Colonial Flag and WalMart Biker Rally and Huge Food Tent Thank you for lending us the 15 foot flag for our stage.
**Tribute Concert of Welcome Home Songs with Special Honorary Tribute to Special Military Families from All Military Branches
**
Thank you Rick for MCing our Special Tribute Concert and KBZN crew as our official Radio Sponsors!!
Thanks
for Prizes from Wrangler, Smith & Wesson from Gunnies Western Wear, KBZN
for T-shirts, hats and CDs, THe Eagle for Free kids meals, dinner certificates,
tickets, Spa Package and other fun prizes given away at the Balloon Popping
Letters to Soldiers table.
** Thank you Chase for Free Scoopology Ice Cream Cones
** Thank you sponsors for the special gift packages for honored military families during Tribute Concert given out Thanks to Neways, NuSkin, Shane Co, Anniversary Inn, Boulder Mountain Lodge, Wise Guys Comedy Club, Shane Co., Bees Baseball, and more.
An Extra Special Thank YOu to OZ and Sandy of Eurest Dining SErvices on Capital Hill 
for not only getting all the food and Pepsi
trailer for this event but for ensuring we had our i's dotted and t's
crossed. We love you!!!
And Thank you Dan from the Health Dept of Utah for hand delivering our Mass Event Permit.
Thank you Randi at Diamond Rental for our generator and tent.
Is
donating 120,000 (11 pallets) of Noni Nutrition Chews for our Troops
serving in Iraq.
Come down to Tahitian Noni Theatre for Free Family Movie Night all summer every Monday night!
Thank you
MIchael for letting us use Plasma Screen and DVD player to show military
videos by the stage during the concert!
Thank you
for Giving us Gift
Baskets for Honorary Military Families and offering all the Products
from your warehouse to ship to our Troops. Thank you for donating
Natural Personal Care products to ship to our Troops serving in Iraq.
They donated 750 of them for Christmas Packages to our Troops.
Thank you UTAH FLASH BASKETBALL TEAM AND Flash FOX FOR
COMING
AND GIVING AWAY for military personnel and families with ID:
enter to win: The winners will be chosen out of the box of all the entries
Winner 1 - 1 Family Pack of Season Tickets to the Utah Flash (1 season ticket per family member)
Winner 2 - 1 Free entry to the Utah Flash Summer Basketball Camp – June 16-20 (Next Week)
Winner 3 - 1 Free entry to the Utah Flash Summer Basketball Camp – June 16-20 (Next Week)
Winner 4 - Free Fox appearance at your Child’s birthday Party
Come watch Jacob Luttrell sing "Signed, Cealed, Delivered" with Clay Aiken from American Idle: "Thanks Jacob" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vMRL3tKpDA
Thanks to all of our Sponsors: WAnt Sponsorship booths, banners and advertising? Please contact Denise info@letterstosoldiers.org
Letters To Soldiers Plans Welcome Home Parties for Military Families:
Who wants to help us WElcome HOme one very special Utah ARmy Reservist Lte. Col. Howard? From his wife we honored:
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Thanks to our wonderful fellow wives, fiancees, mothers and daughters of our Troops serving volunteering to make this event special. Here is one amazing wife of Ntl. Guard:
Jennie"
This military family is one example of the kinds of families we wish to honor, thank and support:
"Hi Denise,
I talked to Jake and he said it would be fine to put up the flyers in
the armory, so let me know how to get those from you. Also, I'm part of
an online forum with mostly ladies from Utah, many with military ties,
so if you want I could post something there too. If you want me to do
that, it would help if you could email me a description of the event
without any graphics. The forum focuses on saving money, so you may
want to emphasize the free stuff. Thanks for putting all of this
together.
Laurie P."
Active Duty Army Wife Hero and mom of 3 beautiful kids.
"I've got the information on the event at ft douglas and will definitely try to get up there. With 5 children (ages 2, 6, 11, 12 and 15) and the 11 & 12 are special needs it can get hard but maybe I can make arrangements for them to spend that day at Grandma & Grandpas... My husband is currently in Iraq and I really wish that he would be home to be able to participate in something like this but he doesn't return until July sometime. He was taken as an officer to fill a slot with a unit out of Oklahoma so he is over there with a group of guys that he didn't know before they began training and left out. There have been several things that I have noticed that he has missed out on...........including the "big" send off and of course the return as well. Basically I took him to the airport and put him on a plane to Oklahoma with no fanfare.........his return home will be the same. We also ended up getting missed by the family support group...........they didn't assign us to the group from Oklahoma or a group out of Salt Lake so I haven't heard from the Army since he left last July. We did find out while he was on leave why we weren't getting checked on and that is the only reason we have an explanation for it. My kids don't quite "get it" when they see the soldiers all headed off on the news and coming home.......they expect Daddy to get the same treatment and have been perplexed when he left and when he came home on leave and there hasn't been a big deal at the airport.
Thanks for any information.
M." From NAtional Guard of Utah about our fallen soldiers and their families: "“I offer my most heartfelt condolences to (Sgt. 1st Class) Wood’s family,” said Maj. Gen. Brian Tarbet, adjutant general of the Utah National Guard. “This is a great loss for them and for the Utah National Guard. We’re mindful of the great cost that some families must bear in this war, and we pledge to them our full and complete support to assist them in whatever way we can.”
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Come sign up new website: www.helloworld.com/saveadogandkids on our video blog, video email, and live streaming video from events by subscribing on home page under “Syndicate” by clicking RSS. We are trying to raise the funds to offer this service to you here on our site:
Send a Video Email to Your Loved Ones in Iraq at www.helloworld.com/saveadogandkids Come see this great new technology that allows you to see and talk free to up to 5 people on video email, or send out a video to your family, birth of child, wedding, etc., or stream your party, event, or business meeting live to up to 500 computers. TV quality and full screen video feed. Great for military to talk to families if they have the bandwidth, or just do a video blog or video email to keep in touch. Monitor who your kids are chatting with easily because you can see who they are talking with. Never miss special moments while you are away with Video Blogging.
Look for Letter Boxes to leave your Thank you wishes at Murray and Orem COSTCOs(see
the ongoing notes on cardstock for the troops at the Orem Store we wish to
thank all the employees for their support)
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Listen To Bring Him Home Santa
You will cry when you hear this little girl sing this song!
http://www.bringhimhomesanta.com/
Message from Congressman Jim Matheson
November 30, 2007
Dear Ms. Denise,
Thank you for sharing your
concerns regarding the collection of letters and packages of support for
soldiers currently serving overseas. I appreciate your interest in the
issues facing our country and state, and I am happy to respond. When you
contact me, you help me to better represent
I greatly appreciate all the work you are doing to ensure that our brave soldiers currently serving overseas receive the recognition they deserve. Especially during the holidays, sending them care packages and letters from their families, friends, and communities can improve the morale of our troops. I have always been a strong supporter of our brave young and men who serve in the military, and I will continue to ensure that they get the funding they need both when they are abroad and when they return.
Again, thank you for sharing your concerns with me. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact my office.
Sincerely,
JIM MATHESON
Member of Congress
Current Needs!
Public Relations & Funraising Geniuses Needed
We need volunteers to spread the word about this volunteer effort! Do you have experience in any of the following areas?
- PR - press releases, public service announcements, contacting the media (TV, radio, newspapers)
- fundraising
- getting sponsors
- if so, run, don't walk, to your e-mail and contact me!
- FRG volunteers from Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy
LetterBox Makers
Crafty people needed to make letter boxes for our Troops! We need letter boxes to place at local businesses to collect letters for our Troops! Contact me for more info!
News
Thanksgiving Day thanks to NPR.org radio, we received over 40 letters online from all over the US, Germany, Argentina, England, Canada and other locations. All positive and in support of our Troops!
Cards made by kids are coming in from all over the US with postage cost donations.
LETTERS TO SOLDIERS "MAKE OUR TROOPS A CHRISTMAS CARD, STOCKING AND HUNDREDS IN DONATED ITEMS THE TROOPS NEED WERE WRAPPED DEC 1ST.
Thank you Charlene for working on revamping our website!! We need more Volunteers please, and donations needed still!