Founders Message

Founder’s Message

We established Operation Hug-A-Hero® after witnessing firsthand how hard military deployments were on our children. As Marine families with the experience of multiple deployments, the absence of daddy was beginning to take its toll on our own children as well as those of dear friends. We wanted to find some way to make the separation easier for our children while keeping their fathers close to their hearts and in their prayers.  This desire led to the creation of the Hug-A-Hero® Doll, a huggable reminder of the deployed loved one that has become a constant companion for many military children on doctor’s visits, on shopping trips, or on a tough day when the child is particularly missing the deployed parent.

The response over the last few years has been nothing short of incredible!  There has been overwhelming support from parents, military chaplains, doctors, mental health professionals, teachers, and, of course, the children themselves.  Our goal is to be able to provide comfort to every child whose parent or significant caregiver is deployed, working to protect us, or fallen in the line of duty.  In recent years there have been hundreds of thousands of children in these circumstances at any given time.  The generosity of sponsors and individual donations is making this possible one child at a time.

We are grateful to be in a position to help the little heroes at home better cope through the precious time they miss with mommy, daddy or other loved one. The dolls may seem like a small token, but seeing their impact on the children we have been able to serve is a moving experience!

Thank you for your consideration and your continued and enthusiastic support.

May God Bless America and those who protect her,