You Can Help:
Donating Money

Our program accepts cash donations to cover the cost of shipping packages overseas.

All donations are tax deductible and will be used specifically for this program.

At over $1 a pound, donations to cover shipping costs is our greatest need.

Please make checks payable to:

ARC
Operation: Care and Comfort

Please mail checks to:

Operation: Care and Comfort
2392 Walden Square
San Jose, CA 95124

Credit card donations are accepted online.

CONTACT INFO
Co-Founders

  (Click on the name
  to send an email)

Julie DeMaria
TroopSupport
@comcast.net
408.373.8635
   . . . . . . . . .

Cookie Crissman
Cookie
@piperitesystems.com
408.590.0731
   . . . . . . . . .

Randy Bye
408.577.2192
   . . . . . . . . .

2731 North First Street
San Jose CA 95134

October 08, 2007
Operation: Persian GOLF Supplies Golf Equipment to our Deployed Troops
150 Tons of Care Packages Shipped by Operation: Care and Comfort

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

San Jose, CA, October 8, 2007 - Operation: Care and Comfort military care package program will reach a milestone with its 300,000th pound of care packages shipped to our Troops. This special shipment, dubbed “Operation: Persian GOLF” by Navy Captain Carl Stewart, will send 114,000 golf balls and over 200 golf clubs to our troops deployed in Iraq. This effort began in in the spring, when residents of the Ridgemark Golf and Country Club saw an interview from a Chaplain on the Golf Channel, expressing his desire for golf equipment for our troops deployed at Camp Victory, Baghdad Iraq. Ridgemark residents Marshall Crisman, Judy Pulling, and others decided to pull together and collect 50,000 golf balls to ship, with a July 4th deadline for donations. Word spread and over 130,000 golf balls and upwards to 300 golf clubs were donated by folks all over the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area. DHL shipped the first 16,500 golf balls and 3 boxes of clubs, and Judy Pulling had to find a way to get the rest of the supplies, currently stored at TEKnova in Hollister, shipped.

“Judy called me in September, to ask if we could help. She had explored every avenue to find someone to get this equipment to Iraq, and had no luck. After hearing her story, I promised to do my best to assist. Nine pallets of golf equipment would be very expensive to ship, so I decided to ask for help” said Julie DeMaria, co founder of Operation: Care and Comfort. “I also wanted to ensure that this equipment was needed and would not overwhelm the military mail system.”

DeMaria contacted Master Chief Terry Delacruz of NOSC San Jose, for advice. Delacruz emailed Captain Carl Stewart of Pacific Grove, currently serving in Kuwait, who contacted Cathie Sexton, a civilian from the Department of Defense (who volunteered to serve at Camp Victory.) Through Sexton’s logistics connections, National Air Cargo, based in Orchard City New York, decided to help. Following a series of emails and phone calls between San Jose, Hollister, New York, Kuwait and Baghdad, “Operation: Persian GOLF” will now begin part two of the mission- to get this equipment to Iraq. Sexton stated via email, “out of everything I have accomplished so far, this is by far, the most rewarding.”

On Tuesday, October 9th at 2:00 P.M. PST, an agent for National Air Cargo will arrive at TEKnova, to collect the shipment. TEKnova is located at 2290 Bert Avenue, Hollister CA. Residents from Ridgemark Golf and Country Club, U.S. Navy personnel, and Operation: Care and Comfort will also be on hand to celebrate the start of this journey to Iraq.

Operation: Care and Comfort's unique program invites members of the community to use their time, talents, and treasure to show our Troops serving in harms way that they are not forgotten. "Our program's strength is in the fantastic volunteers who have come forward to help in all areas, including fund raising, product donation drives, letter writing campaigns, etc. We are included in the Department of Defense America Supports You program, so folks all over the country contact us with questions regarding supporting our Troops" said DeMaria. "In addition, our Service Members also find us and ask for support for their units, via our web site. We are currently shipping monthly care packages to 200 different military units of all branches.” Operation: Care and Comfort’s holiday drive began September 1st. Donations are needed to help ship an estimated 40,000 plus pounds of care packages to our troops September through December.

About Operation Care and Comfort
Since April 2003, the all-volunteer Operation: Care and Comfort program, unique to the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, has shipped over 300,000 pounds of care packages for distribution to Marine, Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard personnel deployed in conflict regions. Adopted military units receive care packages monthly, until they return home. For more information on how you can support this worthy program, please visit: www.operationcareandcomfort.org.

Contact Information:
Julie DeMaria
(408) 373-8635
troopsupport@comcast.net

About American Red Cross
The American Red Cross Santa Clara Valley Chapter is a non-profit, humanitarian organization that depends on the generous contributions of time and money from Santa Clara Valley residents and companies to help the community prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. For more information on disaster preparedness, health and safety classes, volunteer opportunities, and financial contributions, visit their website at
www.scv-redcross.org or call 408-577-1000.

About America Supports You
America Supports You," a nationwide program launched by the Department of Defense in 2004, recognizes citizens' support for our military men and women and communicates that support to members of our Armed Forces at home and abroad. America Supports You spotlights what Americans are doing all across the land, encourages others to join the team, and allows all to tell their stories by giving voice and visibility to their efforts. For More information on the program, please visit
www.americasupportsyou.mil

About National Air Cargo
National Air Cargo is a freight forwarder headquartered in Orchard Park, N.Y. with offices located throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. National Air Cargo is a major supplier of transportation services to the U.S. Military.
www.nationalaircargo.com