Press Release November 17, 2009

OPERATION Hug-A-Hero® Launches Holiday Hugs Drive

OPERATION Hug-A-Hero kicks off its inaugural “Holiday Hugs for Our Littlest Heroes” Drive to provide Hug-A-Hero dolls to the children of military, law enforcement and first responder families this holiday season.

Jacksonville, NC (PRWEB) November 20, 2009 — OPERATION Hug-A-Hero, a 501(c)(3) organization serving the children of military, law enforcement and first responder families, kicks off its inaugural “Holiday Hugs for Our Littlest Heroes” drive this week with the goal of providing 2,500 children with Hug-A-Hero dolls this holiday season.

“I will be leaving behind my fiancee and daughter to go to South Korea for a year. I have only spent a few days apart since she has been born. I am hoping this (Hug-A-Hero Doll) will help her remember me while I am gone.”

OPERATION Hug-A-Hero Executive Director, Lisa Berg, reports a tremendous increase in the applications for the Hug-A-Hero doll program in the weeks leading up to and just after the holiday season. This is due in part, Berg suggests, to the fact that the holidays are very hard for the littlest heroes when they are separated from a parent or other loved one in their lives, or, in the worst case, if they have lost a parent serving in the line of duty. “The separation anxiety is often heightened during the holidays, a time that is already particularly stressful for the family back on the homefront or that is grieving a loss. In addition, the number of units and individuals across our armed forces scheduled to deploy in the January-February timeframe is high,” stated Berg.

A recent application for the OPERATION Hug-A-Hero program from a service member in the United States Air Force readying for deployment puts the need into perspective. The application stated, “I will be leaving behind my fiancee and daughter to go to South Korea for a year. It will be extremely hard for me considering I have only spent a few days apart since she has been born. I am hoping this (Hug-A-Hero doll) will help her remember me while I am gone,” shared Berg.

OPERATION Hug-A-Hero is inviting retailers, businesses, schools, churches and other interested organizations to adorn a holiday tree with OPERATION Hug-A-Hero Holiday Hug ornaments. Each ornament (a $25 donation) represents a Hug-A-Hero doll to be gifted to an eligible child. Donors can write a personal message to the child recipient on the back of the ornament which will be lovingly included in the package that OPERATION Hug-A-Hero will send to the child. The Holiday Hugs Drive is made simple for the sponsoring organization as OPERATION Hug-A-Hero sends all of the materials – the sponsors simply provide the tree or other display for the ornaments.

Individuals who want to participate in the Holiday Hugs Drive may do so on the OPERATION Hug-A-Hero website. The website will also offer donors the same opportunity to craft a personal message to the child recipient.

“We are thrilled at the early response from organizations and businesses all over the country who are becoming Holiday Hugs supporters,” shared Stephanie Crabb, Director of Development for OHAH. “Our goal is to have 50 participants in the Holiday Hugs Drive this year, and for each of those sites to display a minimum of 50 Holiday Hug ornaments. If we achieve this goal we will be able to include 2,500 more children in our program.”

The Holiday Hugs for Our Littlest Heroes Drive will continue through January 31, 2010.

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