Archive for the ‘Charities/Contests’ Category
September 21, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Charities/Contests, Patriotism
I’ve recently had the pleasure of getting to know a great American patriot by the name of George Samek. George is a Vietnam Veteran. He recently had the idea of raising a few dollars to purchase a few laptops for wounded troops. The project evolved into something even beyond what he thought it would become. Not long after starting the project, he had enough money to purchase more than 25 laptops.
Instead of just shipping off the laptops to the abyss of the postal service, Samek got together a band of patriotic misfits to deliver them in person on September 11, 2009. Hear this great warrior talk about this experience from WECT:
And not only is his idea gaining recognition here, it’s going international. The Canada Free Press recently the Laptops for Wounded Warriors program.
For some of America’s wounded warriors who have risked all in the defence of freedom, the recovery may be swift. For others who have lost precious limbs or endured near death burns at the hands of terrorists and insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, their challenging recovery may span months, to years, to a lifetime. The donated laptops serve not only as a window to the world but will also enable America’s wounded warriors to do something most take for granted—and that is to be able to say “goodnight” to their loved ones and keep in close touch with their families who often live in different states.
After contacting Walter Reed, Samek learned that laptops are the one item that the wounded warriors really wanted and truly needed and he began seeking donations to fulfill this need. As a veteran, his heart lies with America’s armed forces and for years he has been apart of the troop support organization, The Gathering of Eagles. “As a simple old soldier I wish to say thanks to each of you for joining in to make this happen,” Samek said, “I work for smiles from my military and those smiles become a good reason for them to know they know we care and they are not alone.”
The mighty band of patriots at Walter Reed included Captain Larry Bailey, Chairman of The Gathering of Eagles. Among the remarkable special mothers who attended, were Gold Star Mother, Muriel Pederson whose son, Sgt Ken Pederson USMC was killed in action in Vietnam and Gold Star Mother, Debbie Lee whose son, Marc Alan Lee, US Navy was the first Navy SEAL killed in Iraq.
To donate to this most worthy endeavor please contact samek.george@gmail.com or send your donation to:
Gathering of Eagles/George Samek
1105 Copas Road
Shallotte, NC 28470
Among those who have donated laptops were Band of Brother and currently deployed fellow soldier Chad Longell, The Band of Mothers, Electric Motor and Contracting in Chesapeake Virginia, and Muriel Pederson, Gold Star Mother. A special thanks to the efforts of GOE Chairman Capt Larry Bailey, the Concerned Citizens of Chocowinity North Carolina (donated 14 laptops) and Best Buy, North Carolina. Donations were also received from many other troop supporters across America and Canada.
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September 9, 2009 By Troy
Posted in Charities/Contests
The You Served Radio cast and VAMortgageCenter.com have decided to switch up some things for our ebay store during the month of September. As you may or may not know, we here at You Served have a ebay auction store up where we auction off brand new items donated to the store from our guests on You Served Radio. You can check out our Ebay Store at http://stores.shop.ebay.com/userved
We have normally been donating this money to The Fisher House which is a more than deserving charity organization. However in this month we wanted to see if we could get more bids if all auction sales went to Soldier’s Angels. We post new items every Thursday and they run for one week. The items are always changing and are typically signed items by the artist/author/musician or they are just really good deals on great brand new things. The people that donate these items so it specifically for the purpose of helping us raise money for the great charities that we do.
As an example, this week (ending Thursday Sept. 10th) we have the book Intrepid: The Epic Story of America’s Most Legendary Warship. This is a brand new item and currently has only a $1.99 bid. This book is selling on Barnes&Noble.com for $21.56. You can get it for a lot less and have 100% of the proceeds go towards the Soldier’s Angels foundation. We also have up signed copy of SGT Murphy: A PVT Murphy’s Law Collection by Mark Baker.
After these items end on Thursday at 11:47 AM on Thursday two new items will go up a few hours later.
So Please help us here at You Served help Soldier’s Angels.
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September 1, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Charities/Contests
On November 14th, I will be participating in the 21st Annual Huntsville Half-Marathon and Heroes Run 5K. Naturally, I’m only doing the 5k so that it doesn’t take me three days to finish. As you know, due to my injury it really hurts me to run. However, to help raise money for our Wounded Warriors, I’m entering the race this year as a walker/light jogger. For more information on this particular run, click HERE.
Again this year the HTC is proud to partner with the Semper Fi Community Task Force to host the Heroes Run 5K. Come out and support Veterans recovering from combat injuries sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan by participating in the HTC’s Half-Marathon and Heroes’ 5K Run. The HTC and SFCTF, a local non-profit charity, have teamed up to show Alabama’s support for wounded veterans of all the Armed Services. Severely wounded military personnel will run with the citizens of our City, Madison County, and the entire Tennessee Valley region. Join us as we proudly recognize and support these brave young Americans to whom we owe so much, by running at their side in the Heroes’ 5K. And please visit the SFCTF website.
To help the SFCTF raise money, I’m soliciting donations on behalf of the You Served Radio Show. All the money raised will be presented to the SFCTF at the end of the race in the form of a check or money order. During the race, I will have my official You Served Flip Video camera to document the effort, which will be posted here.
If you’d like to make a pledge to support this endeavor, please send me an email (cj[at]soldiersperspective.us). The race takes place on 14 November, so please make all donations NLT than 9 November so that I have time to get the check cut and ready for the day of the race.
My goal is to raise at least $500 ($100 per km) walked. Obviously, if I go above that I’ll be happy. I’m also going to train to complete the walk in about 30 minutes (didn’t want to disappoint myself), which is a fast-paced walk!! Will you help me in helping the Semper Fi Community Task Force?
The Paypal address for all pledges is funds@youserved.com. Checks or money orders can be mailed, payable to “VA Mortgage Center.com” to:
VA Mortgage Center.com
ATTN: Josh Dippold
2011 Chapel Plaza Ct
Ste 109
Columbia, Mo 65203
They will add all the money together and send me one combined check as well as one of those cool 6-foot checks for cheesy pictures.
Total pledges so far.
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August 27, 2009 By Troy
Posted in Charities/Contests, Podcast, You Served Radio
Troy, CJ and Marcus are so happy to be celebrating our 1 year anniversary of You Served Radio tonight and we really hope you join us for this awesome event. Troy has been testing different microphone screens to cut down on the heavy breathing, Marcus has been sleeping since yesterday so he can be super-quick on the switchboard and CJ may have actually read the script so he knows what is going on.
We have three great guests tonight and if we could add another hour, we would have added a couple more guests to the line-up. First up is Air Force Reserves Major Eric Egland who was a former Republican candidate in a 2008 congressional run. Eric is a counter-terrorism consultant to the Department of Defense and is an active military reservist. His experience in national security includes working to defeat terrorism, insurgency and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in operational, analytical, and advisory roles. He was in Saudi Arabia on September 11th, 2001 and has since served in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. His experiences in the Middle East are featured in a Fox News documentary on Iran.
He is the founder of Troops Need You, a non-profit organization that continues the American tradition of mobilizing citizens to directly support the troops in Iraq, bypassing the bureaucracies in Washington and Baghdad. The project is part of a plan for victory in Iraq detailed in a book authored by Major Egland, titled The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help Them Win.(www.troopsneedyou.com)
After Eric we will have Gary Winkler who is the author of the new book about Abu Ghraib and Lynndie England "TORTURED: Lynndie England, Abu Ghraib and the Photographs that Shocked the World" – LYNNDIE ENGLAND’S ONLY AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY. In addition to revealing the young Army Reservist’s thoughts and feelings about her role in the abuse, Gary delves deeper into England’s twisted relationship with Corporal Charles Graner, the questionable conduct of the war and the Bush-era torture policies that contributed to the culture of abuse that came to exist at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
And Last but in no way least, we have Country Superstar Mark Wills. Mark has released six studio albums and six compilation albums. He has also received an Academy of Country Music award for Top New Male Vocalist, as well as three Country Music Association nominations. We will talk about his new album, "2nd Time Around" and his support of USA Cares. USA Cares exists to provide military families with financial support and other critical resources in their time of need. www.usacares.org
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August 25, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Charities/Contests
They’re doing it again – a contest to get some nice laptops with awesome webcams into the hands of two families with deployed troops. Here are the details:
WHO: Online retailer, AllAmericanDirect.com
WHAT: A re-launch of the popular ‘Laptops for Flat Tops’ contest that chooses two military families to win a laptop with and embedded webcam (for the family) and an additional webcam (for the soldier) to help improve communication with their loved one while they are deployed. Interested parties may simply go to the site and tell us why they deserve to win.
WHEN: Now through September 4th!
SITE: To enter go to www.allamericandirect.com/military
WHY: After the success of their first two contests in April and June, AllAmericanDirect.com is even more excited and committed to saluting those in uniform by giving them the means to ‘see’ their family while they are thousands of miles away. Everyone knows how difficult separation from a loved one can be, especially when deployments are long and/or extended.
This is a way for AllAmericanDirect.com to say thank you to the soldiers and military families that have sacrificed so much to serve the USA.
AllAmericanDirect.com, a leading e-commerce provider of consumer electronics and satellite services, today announces the company’s third Laptops for Flat Tops contest, which will award one laptop with an embedded Webcam (for the family) and an additional Webcam (for the soldier) to two families who have an immediate family member serving in any branch of the U.S. military overseas.
This contest arrives on the heels of April and June’s successful Laptops for Flattops contests, which provided multiple military families the opportunity to more intimately connect with their loved ones. The popular contest re-launches on August 3 to provide another opportunity for two more deserving military families.
To enter, all participants need to do is submit a short explanation, either in written or video format, of why their family deserves to win, and how a laptop can improve their lives and communication with their loved one serving overseas. Families must be able to verify their loved one’s military enlistment.
You may also submit an entry by going to http://www.youtube.com/group/laptopsforflattops, joining our group, and submitting a one minute video. When you submit your video, please remember to begin it with your name, and then submit an entry to www.allamericandirect.com/military with the words “see video”, so we can send you your laptop when you win!
“In our first two contests we set out to raise awareness and support for our troops, and the response was overwhelming,” said Mike Mountford, CEO of AllAmericanDirect.com. “The stories that we have heard have inspired us, and reassured us that something as simple as a laptop can lift a family’s spirits in a time of great need. We salute the families that have sacrificed so much to serve our country.”
Entries for the contest can be submitted as early as 12:00 AM EDT (24:00 GMT) on Monday, August 3 via allamericandirect.com/military for written submissions and via www.youtube.com/group/laptopsforflattops for video submissions. The contest closes at 11:59 PM EDT (15:59 GMT) on Friday, September 4.
Judging will be done by a panel of three judges including: Col. (Ret.) Dale A. Kissinger, partner at MilitaryAvenue.com and a colonel (retired) in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Scott Davis, an Air Force veteran of Operation Desert Storm and father of Army PFC Sean Davis, who is stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and is preparing for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, and Ms. Jenna Richards, the sister of Capt. Phillip Richards and his wife Capt. Michelle Richards who are active in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and will be deployed to Iraq for their second tour of duty in September 2009.
Winners of the contest will be announced on Monday, September 14. Families may re-submit a new essay for each bi-monthly contest if they were not previously selected. The contest will continue every other month through December 2009.
To learn more about Laptops for Flattops, visit http://www.allamericandirect.com/military. Further information on AllAmericanDirect.com’s products and services is available online at http://www.allamericandirect.com/?pr.
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July 3, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Charities/Contests
GumRunners LLC is proud to support our troops and their families by donating a portion of its proceeds to organizations that support them.
“We really believe everyone should understand and appreciate the sacrifices made by the individuals of the armed forces and their families. Over the years we’ve gotten a lot of emails and actual letters from servicemen and women and their families. Since we’re a gum maker, the letters are usually about gum – and to tell us how Jolt Energy Gum helped them or how much they enjoy it,” said Kevin Gass, co-founder of GumRunners, LLC. “With every letter, it humbles us to realize what they achieve and endure in support of our nation. As a small thank you, we are donating 7% of all sales from ‘Support our Troops’ Jolt Energy Gum packs to charities that assist wounded or fallen members of the military or their families, including the Wounded Warrior Project, The Intrepid Fund for Fallen Heroes and The Fisher House.
“It’s wonderful that GumRunners is donating part of their sales to those who have served their country so honorably,” said Jose Dee, event director of several benefits for the Wounded Warrior Project. “Now even people who can’t write a large check can contribute even by buying a pack of Jolt Gum.”
“The tagline for Jolt Gum is Chew More. Do More,” said Kevin Gass, co-founder of GumRunners, LLC. “And who does more for our country then the members of the armed forces?”
“Support our Troops” Jolt Energy Gum will be sold online at www.joltgum.com and in many of the supermarkets, drugstores, convenience stores and specialty retailers across the country that carry Jolt gum, including CVS, ampm, Sheetz, CircleK and 7-Eleven. Two pieces Jolt Energy Gum contain enough caffeine, ginseng and guarana to give the energy boost of a coffee or energy drink. The gum is available in sweet spearmint and exhilarating IcyMint flavors and has a suggested retail price of $1.59.
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By Troy
Posted in Charities/Contests, Patriotism
GumRunners LLC, makers of Jolt Energy Gum, launches limited-edition “Support our Troops” Jolt Gum benefiting wounded members of the military and their families.
JERSEY CITY, NJ – GumRunners LLC is proud to support our troops and their families by donating a portion of its proceeds to organizations that support them.
“We really believe everyone should understand and appreciate the sacrifices made by the individuals of the armed forces and their families. Over the years we’ve gotten a lot of emails and actual letters from servicemen and women and their families. Since we’re a gum maker, the letters are usually about gum – and to tell us how Jolt Energy Gum helped them or how much they enjoy it,” said Kevin Gass, co-founder of GumRunners, LLC. “With every letter, it humbles us to realize what they achieve and endure in support of our nation. As a small thank you, we are donating 7% of all sales from ‘Support our Troops’ Jolt Energy Gum packs to charities that assist wounded or fallen members of the military or their families, including the Wounded Warrior Project, The Intrepid Fund for Fallen Heroes and The Fisher House.
“It’s wonderful that GumRunners is donating part of their sales to those who have served their country so honorably,” said Jose Dee, event director of several benefits for the Wounded Warrior Project. “Now even people who can’t write a large check can contribute even by buying a pack of Jolt Gum.”
“The tagline for Jolt Gum is Chew More. Do More,” said Kevin Gass, co-founder of GumRunners, LLC. “And who does more for our country then the members of the armed forces?”
“Support our Troops” Jolt Energy Gum will be sold online at www.joltgum.com and in many of the supermarkets, drugstores, convenience stores and specialty retailers across the country that carry Jolt gum, including CVS, ampm, Sheetz, CircleK and 7-Eleven. Two pieces Jolt Energy Gum contain enough caffeine, ginseng and guarana to give the energy boost of a coffee or energy drink. The gum is available in sweet spearmint and exhilarating IcyMint flavors and has a suggested retail price of $1.59.
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June 15, 2009 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Charities/Contests
YouServed.com’s parent company is currently offering any blogger who can refer the company a VA Loan Underwriter $20,000. You read that right – send VAMC an underwriter who gets hired and you get $20,000!
This offer is open to all bloggers, including military bloggers who are rabid fans of CJ and Troy here at You Served.
Visit the $20,000 Blogger “Bounty” page here to learn more and register. You need to register your blog to be eligible. Spread the word to anyone who might be interested.
Thanks for letting us take a moment here and please keep reading the fantastic bloggers we feature here on YouServed.com and listen to our Radio Show.
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June 12, 2009 By Claire
Posted in Charities/Contests, Spouse and Family
I love finding creative and innovative ways to support fellow military members and their families. This is one of those occasions! I came across this doing an internet search a while back on support opportunities. If you are interested in helping this organization, it sounds like baby items are the number one need (makes sense!) Visit their website that is linked below and you will find a great list already for you to buy from as a donation. If you are pregnant military spouse and your husband is deployed, you may qualify for this type of support.
The following is taken from their website.
| Showers |
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WHAT IS A UNIT WIDE SHOWER?
A unit-wide shower is a great event! Operation Shower’s goal with a unit-wide shower is to show our appreciation to expectant mothers who have spouses serving overseas during their pregnancies. After gathering donations, Operation Shower prepares a shower in a box for each mom-to-be in a chosen unit of the military. The showers in a box are then delivered by the Operation Shower stork at an Operation Shower baby shower for the entire group of moms. It is a wonderful celebration for these deserving families.
 WHAT IS A SHOWER IN A BOX?
A shower in a box is a wonderful way to shower a miltary mom! Operation Shower gathers donations for a particular mom-to-be whose spouse is deployed during her pregnancy. After gathering enough wonderful donations to fill a large box and packing it with festive paper and ribbons, the Operation Shower stork delivers the box to the unsuspecting mom-to-be!
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
There are many ways to contribute to a shower in a box:
- Donate new goods for the mom or baby;
- Donate money;
- Join with a group and sponsor a box to be sent by your group; and
- Host a shower or party and collect/donate goods for a shower in a box.
See the Contribute page to donate.
It is a wonderful surprise and a great way to show our support for the mothers who are at home caring for the family while their spouses are deployed and serving our country.
Please email Lena at lena@lenasnotebook.com or Kris at kris@cleverparents.com if you are interested in donating to a shower in a box or if you know of someone who should be the recipient of a shower in a box.
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Find out what you can do to support their efforts!
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June 9, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Charities/Contests
AllAmericanDirect.com, a leading e-commerce provider of consumer electronics and satellite services, today announced the company’s second Laptops for Flat Tops contest, which will award one laptop with an embedded Webcam (for the family) and an additional Webcam (for the soldier) to two families who have an immediate family member serving in any branch of the U.S. military overseas.
This contest arrives on the heels of April’s successful Laptops for Flattops contest, with a new twist to the submission process. June’s contest now accepts video submissions. Participants can either submit a 400 word essay or a one minute video that explains why their family deserves to win, and how a laptop can improve their lives and communication with their loved one serving overseas. Families must be able to verify their loved one’s military enlistment.
Videos can be submitted by going to www.youtube.com/group/laptopsforflattops, joining the Laptops for Flat Tops group and uploading a one minute video. At the beginning of each video, participants should state their name, city, state, email address and telephone number.
“After hearing all the compelling stories from military families that participated in our first contest, we have become even more passionate about helping to provide more interactive means of communication for soldiers overseas,” said Mike Mountford, CEO of AllAmericanDirect.com.
Entries for the contest can be submitted as early as 12:00 AM EDT (24:00 GMT) on Monday, June 1 via allamericandirect.com/military for essay submissions and via www.youtube.com/group/laptopsforflattops for video submissions. The contest closes at 11:59 PM EDT (15:59 GMT) on Friday, July 3.
Judging will be done by a panel of three judges including: Col. (Ret.) Dale A. Kissinger, partner at MilitaryAvenue.com and a colonel (retired) in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Scott Davis, an Air Force veteran of Operation Desert Storm and father of Army PFC Sean Davis, who is stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and is preparing for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, and Ms. Jenna Richards, the sister of Capt. Phillip Richards and his wife Capt. Michelle Richards who are active in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and will be deployed to Iraq for their second tour of duty in September 2009.
Winners of the first contest will be announced on Monday, July 13. Families may re-submit a new essay for each bi-monthly contest if they were not previously selected. The contest will continue every other month through December 2009.
To learn more about Laptops for Flattops, visit http://www.allamericandirect.com/military.
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