May 18^th, 2005
For Immediate Release

Contact
Contact:Shauna Fleming, Student
(714) 282-9415 Email: SFleming@AMillionThanks.org
Gregg Pinick, Principal, Lutheran High of Orange County,
(714)998-5151 Email: Gpinick@LHSOC.org

Los Angeles, CAAs Americans get ready to celebrate Armed Forces Day, May 21st, a California teenager has accomplished what no other person has been able to do; give one thank you note to every person serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Last year, Shauna Fleming, 16, a sophomore at Lutheran High School in Orange, Ca, convinced her Principal, Gregg Pinick, to have her school be the collection point of her letter campaign that she called “A MILLION THANKS.” Her goal, initially, was to collect one million thank you letters for U.S. Service Members and Veterans, here and overseas.

In October, 2004, Fleming reached her goal and had the millionth letter framed for presentation to President George W. Bush. That presentation occurred in the Oval Office in November, but Fleming was not satisfied.

“I wanted to find a way to thank all of our Service Members, so I decided to continue collecting letters and emails until I reached 1.4 million the number given to me by the Pentagon, said Fleming. “This week we reached that number so I can say, at least symbolically, that A MILLION THANKS has a thank you for every Service Member, “ Fleming added.

Gregg Pinick, Principal of Lutheran High School said he is proud of all of his students and faculty for being part of an event that is somewhat historic. The school has a mail room just for the incoming letters.

Fleming said the 1.4 millionth letter will be framed and sent to General Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The teen wrote a book that was released earlier this month about her experiences titled, A MILLION THANKS (Doubleday Books). She has even had offers to turn her story into a television movie.

So what’s next she was asked? “I am planning to establish A MILLION THANKS clubs in high schools across America, and finish setting up the A MILLION THANKS FOUNDATION which will assist wounded soldiers and their families, said Fleming.