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Operation Support Team
NCIS Fan Fest 2008 desires to support the men and women serving in our Armed Forces. With so many service personnel deployed overseas right now, we are supporting Operation Gratitude by hosting a care package drive in connection with this year's NCIS Fan Fest to show support for our troops. Operation Gratitude together with the California Army National Guard, 746th QM BN, Van Nuys, seek to lift troops' morale, and bring a smile to their faces by sending care packages to service members overseas. Operation Gratitude care packages contain food, toiletries, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support. OPERATION GRATITUDE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all-volunteer corporation, funded entirely by private donations. For safety and security, the assembling of packages occurs at the 746th QM BN Armory in Van Nuys, California. In return for donating either items or cash, NCIS fans will, in return, be given one raffle ticket for each $5 worth of donations. There will be a raffle drawing during the NCIS Fan Fest. But the winner need not be present to win, so everyone will have a chance to participate! How Can I Help if I’m Not Attending the NCIS Fan Fest? For those who cannot attend the NCIS Fan Fest but want to help out, you can send a cash donation, which will be given to Operation Gratitude to help cover the cost of shipping these care packages overseas. 100% of all monetary donations to Operation Gratitude go toward the shipping costs required to send the care packages through the U.S. Postal Service. The postage cost for each package averages $10-15.00. Operation Gratitude sends 50-75 packages per week and tens of thousands during their support drives. Mail a check or money order made payable to Operation Gratitude to: NCIS Fan Fest Operation Support Team Mailed donations must be postmarked no later than August 15th, to ensure your donation will be received in time for your name to be entered in the raffle drawing. For each $5 or part thereof donated to Operation Gratitude via the NCIS Fan Fest, you will receive one (1) raffle ticket. The more you donate the more chances you'll have to win! How Can I Help if I Am Attending the NCIS Fan Fest? For those who will be attending the NCIS Fan Fest, you
will need to
Please note that all food items (denoted with an *) must be manufacturer sealed. Items that are determined unacceptable by the inspectors will be discarded and not returned. Any suspicious items will be removed. Beanie Babies, legos sets and novelty items allow the troops interact with the local children. Again, raffle tickets will be distributed one (1) ticket for each $5 or part thereof spent on items for the care packages. If you have your receipts, we'll be able to use the exact dollar amount; if not, we'll make our best guesstimate.
What Else Can I Do? Operation Gratitude strives to include several personal letters in every package that they send. Please help ensure that a soldier, sailor, marine or airman knows that you are thinking of them by writing cards or letters. You will have an opportunity to write letters of support to our troops at the NCIS Fan Fest. If you are not coming to the NCIS Fan Fest, you may email letters of support to charities@ncisfanfest.com until Monday, September 8th. We will print out your letters of support and bring them to the NCIS Fan Fest. You may also mail letters or cards of support to: NCIS Fan Fest Operation Support Team Please include your own address or email in the body of each letter so the recipient can choose to write back. Sample salutations include: Dear Service Member, Dear Hero, Dear Brave One, etc. Please keep your message upbeat and positive. Letters and cards of support would be a wonderful project for children, family, friends and co-workers. The letters should be postmarked no later than Friday, August 15th. Please do not seal individual letters or cards in separate envelopes inside your mailing envelope. All cards and letters are subject to review. Why Should I Participate? If you're not sure whether you wish to take part in Operation Support Team, please take a minute to read some comments by some of the men and women who have received the care packages: Received by the NCIS Fan Fest Planning Committee after NCIS Fan Fest 2006: Just wanted to say Thank You for your part in the "Operation Gratitude" care package program. Getting a care package in the mail can really bring a smile to the faces of those of us stationed away from home. Its been almost a week since the packages arrived and we are still trading items and talking about what a wonderful thing you guys are doing. So, on behalf of my fellow Soldiers and Sailors, Thank You. You are all great!
Received by Operation Gratitude: I am one of the many Marines that you sent a care package. I want
to thank each and every one of you for supporting us and for letting us
know how much people support us back at home. I live with 17 Marines
and Sailors in one room. Everyone got a package and everyone loved it
especially the cookies and beanie babies. The cookies are excellent and
the beanie babies help us out a lot with the local kids. We give them
candy and toys and they give us the location for IED's. Once again,
thank you for everything and for all the hard work that you put into the
package.
Good day. I want to express a heartfelt
thank you for all the work
you are doing in support of what we, the soldiers are doing over here so
far from home. Myself, along with several of my soldiers, have nobody
at home to support us during our deployment, and the receipt of your
packages was a marvelous boost to our spirits. Imagine a young private,
orphaned at the age of 4 away from home for the first time in 20 years.
He isn't expecting anything from the foster parents who raised him, and
his expectations are met. Suddenly, the Platoon Sergeant calls out his
name .... "You've got a box!" he yells. The soldier's eyes light up as
he rushes over to get his box. Inside he finds new socks.... he needs
them because KBR laundry has lost two pairs already. He also finds
sunblock "Thank God," he laughs (the PX is sold out). "It's hot out there
on guard duty." Also he spies AA batteries. "Now I can listen to my
walkman before I go to bed tonight." (Try finding AA batteries at the PX!)
This is just a small look into the joy what you and your organization
are doing. Hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers are feeling the same
way right now because you your work. Along with my thanks, I salute
you. Be well and take care. I just wanted to take the time to say thanks to
you and your entire staff. I really appreciate the fact that you take
the time to show our military personnel that you care and appreciate
what we are doing. I had my Sgt come to me and tell me that this was
the first piece of mail that he has gotten out here, besides what comes
from his bank. He is not the only one, but I am not sure if you fully
understand that you make these deployments easier to serve. I have a
caring family that is at home that I need only ask and they would send
the things that I need. Of course I would probably end up paying for
it, but that is a different matter. But there are many of us that
either have no family or the relationship with our family is scarred, so
expecting to receive anything from them is out of the question. I find
that it really means a lot more to me when I receive a package like this
because you don't know me, but you still took the time to brighten my
day. You rank right up there with the arts and crafts that my kids
send. I don't want to take up any more of your time, but I just thought
that you should know that we really appreciate the time and love that
you put into each package. I wanted to send a thank you card just to
let you all know that you are greatly appreciated, but under the present
circumstances that is just not possible at the time. I hope that this
email attempts to express my gratitude not only for me, but for the
thousands of military personnel that are deployed worldwide. You and
your staff are forever in my prayers. God bless you all. Semper
Fidelis Together we can support our troops! With NCIS fans already registering to attend the NCIS Fan Fest and hundreds more reading about it online, we can make a huge difference in the lives of our troops if we all join together to support this effort. Show your support for the troops and honor the cast and crew of NCIS by taking part in this support effort. Let's show the men and women in the Armed Forces how much NCIS fans appreciate their efforts on our behalf. Operation Gratitude Booth at NCIS Fan Fest 2006: Rosemary W. |
copyright © 2005-2008 NCIS Fan Fest.
All Rights Reserved.
The NCIS Fan Fest is an independent coalition of NCIS-related fan clubs/groups. The NCIS Fan Fest is not affiliated with nor
endorsed by CBS, Paramount, Belisarius Productions, or any other person or
entity connected with the show.
bring items to make up the care packages that we will be
sending in order to get a ticket(s) for the raffle. Due to donations from
manufacturers Operation Gratitude no longer accepts toiletries except
for those listed below. The Wish
List from Operation Gratitude includes : 
Since
the items of necessity must be rather small so the troops can fit them
in their backpacks, they shouldn't take up much room in your suitcase
(thus allowing you room to take back all of your goodies from the NCIS
Fan Fest!). Or you can support the local Hollywood economy by picking up some items after you get to the NCIS Fan Fest.
But we hope you will support our troops by showing up at the NCIS Fan Fest
with several goodies for some lucky service man or woman. Thank you!