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Heroes Club puts together boxes,
plans fundraisers
October 17, 2009
The Gorge Heroes Club has begun
collecting snack and hygiene items for holiday care packages
that will be sent to military personnel in late November.
“Thanksgiving and Christmas are tough
times for deployed soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to be
separated from friends and family. So, we are inviting the
community to provide them with some holiday cheer,” said RaeLynn
Ricarte, mother of a Marine and founder of the local troop
support group.
During the month of October and into
early November, she said packaged food items and toiletries for
the holiday boxes can be dropped off at the Hood River News
office, 419 State St., or the Hood River Amory, 1529 12th
St.
Monetary contributions are also welcome
and can be paid directly to the GHC account at CenterPointe
Bank, 2500 Cascade Ave.
Ricarte said holiday packages for the
troops will be assembled at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the
armory. She said area residents are welcome to help fill boxes
and churches, schools and service organizations to supply
Christmas cards.
Terri Hansen, a GHC board member,
maintains the nonprofit organization’s Internet site. She said
information about the most-requested items for care packages can
be found at http://gorgeheroesclub.blogspot.com/.
Hansen said testimonials sent to GHC
from men and women in field are posted on the blog. She said
these messages illustrate how thankful members of the armed
forces are to be remembered by their fellow countrymen.
“It means a lot to our troops in harm’s
way to know that they haven’t been forgotten and their efforts
are appreciated,” said Hansen.
Also on Nov. 21, GHC will serve a
spaghetti lunch from noon
to 2 p.m. at the armory. Proceeds from the meal will be used to
purchase supplies and defray shipping costs for the monthly
boxes.
“People who come by the armory that
Saturday will have the opportunity to meet our local soldiers
since that is their training weekend,” said Ricarte.
To raise public awareness about its
cause, GHC will soon begin selling new reminder bands in five
colors and both adult and child sizes. The bands in desert camo,
pink camo, yellow, blue and purple all say “Gorge Heroes Club”
on one side and “Until They All Come Home” on the other side.
“Wearing one of these bands is a great
way to show your support for the men and women that are
defending you,” said Hansen.
In August, GHC struck out on its own
after more than one year with Elks Lodge 1507. Ricarte began
working with Hood River attorney Will Carey to establish an
independent charitable organization. She said the rapid growth
of the group had begun to create an extra workload for the Elks
so it became time to “go it alone.”
“It has really been heartwarming since
we started filling boxes 19 months ago to learn that so many
people from this area have a soft spot in their hearts for our
troops,” she said.
HOW TO HELP
For more information about the bands, or
GHC activities, e-mail gorgeheroesclub@yahoo.com or call RaeLynn
Ricarte at
503-750-4181
Terri Hansen is also asking for community
support with these projects to keep Mid-Columbia veterans warm
during the winter:
n The
Upper Valley Lions Club is crocheting black hats for
distribution at the state veterans home in The Dalles. Donated
skeins of black yarn are needed for creation of the handcrafted
items.
n
Thirteen homeless vets camp out in the Gorge and need warm
coats, socks, hats and blankets. In addition, these individuals
rely upon telephone calling cards for communication.
Hansen said some of the vets have a dog or
cat for companionship and can use cans of animal food.
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