The Friday Flyer, July 3, 2009 - Article: Three cheers for the red, white and blue

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As American flags and bunting festooned the home of Don and Anne Norris on Memorial Day, friends gathered to revel in the beginning of summer, as well as to remember the men and women in the military who have paid a price for their freedom. One of the objectives of the party was to have guests bring items that could be shipped to Robbi Smith, bottom left, of the www.anysoldier.com organization. After collecting more than 400 lbs. of items, Sue Sell, Sharon Rents, Rose Marie Hand, Leslie Brand, Marilyn Serdinsky, Carol Newsom, Bobbie Gamble, Donna Nunes, Pat Smith, Linda Johnson and Anne Norris, above, got together to package the items into 37 boxes for shipping.

Three cheers for the red, white and blue

By Sharon Rice
The Friday Flyer Editor

     If there is one thing that can be said about Canyon Lake it’s that there are a lot of people here who are proud to be American. From the Fiesta Day Parade honoring active and retired military personnel, to the Fine Arts Guild concert with its big show of red, white and blue, to plans the City of Canyon Lake has to honor veterans next fall, people here are not paltry about patriotism.
     Consider the party Don and Anne Norris threw over Memorial Day weekend. As they pondered the meaning of the holiday, Anne says she and Don decided they wanted to honor family and friends who have served in the military. But they also wanted to do something tangible for troops still stationed overseas by asking their party guests to bring items that could be sent to the troops.
     “Don, being a Vietnam Veteran, told me he always looked forward to the mail and receiving letters and packages from family and friends,” says Anne. However, not knowing anyone currently in the service, Anne says she decided to go online, where she discovered www.anysoldier.com.
     She knew she’d found the right place when she read the opening sentence: “Want to send your support to a soldier in harm’s way, but have no idea of what to send, who to send it to or how to send it?”
     She learned the website was created in August 2003 by the family of an American soldier serving in Iraq to help other soldiers in his unit. In January 2004, www.anysoldier.com was launched to include any member of any of the Armed Services stationed in harms way.
     The way it works is that there are volunteer military “contacts” who list what the folks they represent want and need. The soldiers (or airmen or sailors, etc.) involved in this effort are military volunteers stationed in areas that are in harm’s way. When these volunteers see letters and packages addressed to them with the “Attn: Any Soldier®” line in their address, they put the letters and packages into the hands of soldiers who don’t get much or any mail first. Everything is shared.
     Anne says that, since Don was in the Army, they chose an army unit from California comprised of 50 men and women. They then sent an “e-vite” to 70 of their friends, inviting them to the party and asking them to bring tan T-Shirts, gourmet coffee,playing cards,beef jerky,hard candy,licorice,hand-held video games,batteries andpersonal hygiene items.
     “The response was terrific,” says Anne. “All but two people responded they would be there and were totally excited to bring items for the troops. Additionally, they were asked to provide photos of family members who had served in the military.”
     Anne says, once she received the pictures, she asked Golding Productions to make a DVD that could be shown on their TV. She also hired a DJ she found at the Farmer’s Market, Sound Star DJ Ricky Rhythms, who caused the party to erupt into patriotic fervor when he played “Proud to be an American.”
     In all, guests brought more than 400 lbs. of items to ship to the contact for the unit. The weather on Memorial Day was splendid and the outdoor party was, in Anne’s words, “such fun!”
     During a later get-together, Anne invited friends to help her box up the items, fill out the forms and deliver the 37 boxes to Pack, Wrap and Post. Robbi Smith, the soldier contact at Camp Taji to whom they sent the packages, e-mailed the following response:
     “I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for your generosity and your blessings. Over the past few days, a lot boxes started showing up in the mailroom addressed to me. Wow . . . I did not expect so many packages, nor did I expect the contents of the few that I opened. You brought smiles to over 60 troops and some that I did not even know . . . A little bit about me. I am in an advisory unit. I was sent here to advise/train Iraqi medics on how to become flight medics. I have been a flight medic since 2001. Attached is a picture of me and the last class that I graduated. I am hoping I got all the e-mail address right from the card. If not, can you please e-mail this to all that had a part in packing and sending these packages.”