December 2006

1.  Our December packages (which cost us a total of $2,496) went out last week with a total of 530 Christmas stockings full of snacks and treats, with letters and pictures for each serviceman and woman who are with our 5 contacts:  Chris, Pete, Bob, Rrea and Fred

2.  Thank you to our volunteers who spent their Sunday preparing and packing the stockings with lots of love from home.   We could never have done it without you.  Check out the pictures below from our "Packing Party".

3.  Thank you to all of our friends around the country who sent letters and drawings.  We heard from 25 schools from as far away as Alaska!  It was a tremendous turnout  with each stocking contained at least two letters.  Thank you to all the teachers and principals who helped their students with this project.

4.  For the last two years, Pack It Up has periodically asked you all for donations when the "Pot" is low.  Well, that time was almost coming... but our Pot has been totally filled back up by our largest single donation we have ever received. 

Thank you to our anonymous donor who so generously gave us $5,000 and will keep our troops well supplied going for many more months to come.

5.  This past week, Game On!  at Fenway Park held a holiday party and asked their guests to bring something we could send to the troops.  We are very grateful and collected many great items (coffee, DVDs, socks, t-shirts and baseball caps).

6.  We heard from CPL Fred Gilmetti for the first time, in response to our November packages.   He wrote:
Kristin,
Thanks so much for the packages!  They were awesome!  I wear my Patriots hat all the time!  When I first came here, in Iraq in August it was about 130 degrees - during the day and 90s at night.  Now in December, it is about 67 during the day and high 30s low 40s at night!  Things here have been OK. October was the bloodiest month since the war began. Historically, though in the colder months insurgent activity goes down than in the summertime.  Thanks again for the packages and taking the time to put them together. It means a lot.  Have a good holiday season and a happy new year!
-Fred

PACKING PARTY!