Orange, CA A high school student from Lutheran High School in Orange, California, has started national campaign to collect and distribute one million letters of appreciation and emails of thanks to our current and past military service members as part of National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM), which is celebrated each May.
Freshman student, Shauna Fleming, 15, was challenged by her father, Michael, to get her school to do something positive for the military men and women serving our country. She decided on the letter campaign for NMAM and thinks she can reach her goal of a million. Her father founded an annual campaign called Valentines For Troops, and has distributed over a million and a half Valentines to US troops the past two years.
Shauna approached Gregg Pinick, Lutheran High Principal, with the idea of using the letter campaign as a school service project.
“I can’t think of a better way for students to express themselves for the sacrifices made by the men and women in our military, than to try to collect and distribute letters of love and appreciation. The students are not asking people to support any military cause, but to take time and write a special thank you letter to our service members for the work they do and for their sacrifices to maintain the freedom we enjoy in this country,” said Pinick.
To handle the amount of mail they expect to receive, the school is organizing the students into open, sort, and packaging teams. The mail will be distributed to a variety of military bases, USO’s, VA hospitals, and other military organizations. A special website, www.AmillionThanks.org, has been set up to provide specific rules and information about the campaign.
Alice Wax, Executive Director of NMAM, said she is delighted to hear that high school teens want to take the lead this year in showing appreciation for our troops and hopes students everywhere join in.
“This campaign will be challenging but very rewarding for everyone involved,” said Shauna Fleming. “I remember last year when I helped deliver about 300,000 Valentines to March Air Base. Many of the pilots had tears in their eyes reading the messages. I know the appreciation letters we’ll deliver in May will help to lift their spirits. I’ll save the millionth letter for the President,” she added.
Organizers said they are hoping that schools, churches, and youth groups will write the letters to the service members as their special service project. They are hoping to have the majority of the letters in by early May so they can be distributed during National Military Appreciation Month.
Appreciation letters to the troops can be sent to: A Million Thanks c/o Lutheran High School of Orange County, 2222 North Santiago Blvd. Orange, Ca 92867. Their website is www.AMillionThanks.org.
For information on National Military Appreciation Month visit www.NMAM.org.
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