2009 Holiday Hugs Drive
November 18, 2009 by Lisa Berg
Filed under Fund Raising, General
OPERATION Hug-A-Hero is inviting retailers, businesses, schools, churches and other interested organizations to adorn a holiday tree with OHAH Holiday Hug “ornaments.” Each ornament represents a Hug-A-Hero doll for a child, for a $25 donation. 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 OHAH will send to the child. OHAH will also offer the Holiday Hug drive on its website as well, and will offer donors the same opportunity to craft a personal message to the child recipient.
The Holiday Hugs Drive is made simple for the sponsoring organization as OHAH sends all of the materials – the sponsors simply provide the tree or other display for the ornaments. To obtain your Sponsor Package please contact our Director of Development, Stephanie Crabb at stephanie AT operationhugahero.org. or using our Contact Form select the Request a Holiday Hugs Packet option.
The Holiday Hugs for Our Littlest Heroes Drive will continue through January 31, 2010.
Be sure to check out our Press Release
Our Holiday Hug Angel:
Holiday Hugs Ornament
Press Release November 17, 2009
November 18, 2009 by Lisa Berg
Filed under General, News & Events
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.
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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Motorcycle Ride for OPERATION Hug-A-Hero & Children’s Bicycle Rodeo
October 6, 2009 by Lisa Berg
Filed under Fund Raising, General
Be one of the first 100 to register and receive a FREE t-shirt!
October 24th 2009 in Jacksonville, North Carolina there will be (2) great events to support our Military and Operation Hug-A-Hero. These events are for the entire family. The first event is for all the Motorcycle Enthusiasts. This Harley Ride is just for you. For the second event be sure to bring your children along for the Bicycle Rodeo, where the kids get to dress up their bikes with all kinds of free stickers and then a contest for the best dressed and a lot of other categories for them to win prizes with their bikes. Lot’s of fun stuff for children of all ages; there will be Face Painting, a Rock Wall, Giveaways, Live Music, Food and more.
So be sure to set the date (October 24, 2009) on your calendar for these two great fun events at the New River Harley Davidson off Wilmington Highway in Jacksonville, NC.
Event 1 – Harley Ride for Operation Hug-A-Hero
Fall is in the air! Rain or shine, be a part of the first ever ride in our community for our littlest heroes!
Ride for Operation Hug-A-Hero – Jacksonville, NC
October 24, 2009
New River Harley Davidson/Buell
2394 Wilmington Highway
Jacksonville, NC
The Harley Ride is Sponsored by:
$20 Solo Rider (Free Event T-Shirt to first 100 registered riders) 9:00 AM Kickoff and Registration 11:00 AM Kickstands Up After Party – WRNS Your Country 95.1 FM Broadcasting Live – Kids Bicycle Rodeo For more information, contact: Tricia Dyal @ 910-333-1502 or tricia AT operationhugahero.org
Event 2 – Kids Bicycle Rodeo and Family Fun
Kids Bicycle Rodeo and Family Fun – Jacksonville, NC October 24, 2009 New River Harley Davidson/Buell 2394 Wilmington Highway Jacksonville, NCThe Kids Bicycle Rodeo and Family Fun is Sponsored by: Accent Real Estate
Be one of the first 100 to register and receive a FREE t-shirt!
Ride for our Cause!
Sportsman’s Lodge is sponsoring this exciting event! Just $20 gets you in to ride your motorcycle in support of our Littlest Heroes! While the big bikers are off on their great ride, the little bikers will stay behind and enjoy our Children’s Rodeo, sponsored by Accent Real Estate! Lejeune High School Seniors are putting on the Rodeo! Logan’s Food will be there! Vendors will be setup, Hooter’s Girls, a Paintball gun given out from Sportsman’s Lodge in a 50/50 drawing, WRNS Broadcasting Live! Starting at 9:00 and every half hour, a Hug-A-Hero kit will be given away compliments of Daddy Dolls, Inc. The Hug-A-Hero Kit includes a free voucher for the custom made doll of their hero and a voice recorder! There will be a raffle for the chance to win 4 new bikes. Kids bring your bikes and enjoy the following – Extreme Biking, Best in Show, Decorating Contest and a Parade. Bikes will be judged by some of the Motorcycle Riders. Trophies will be awarded at 1:00! Kids can enjoy the Rock Wall and Moon Bounce! Family Fun for everyone. Come on out and show your support for our military and for Operation Hug-A-Hero!
Press Release June 2009 – Father’s Day
June 17, 2009 by Ben Berg
Filed under News & Events
OPERATION HUG-A-HERO™
FATHER’S DAY IS A SPECIAL TIME TO REMEMBER THE CHILDREN
OF AMERICA’S DEPLOYED SERVICE MEMBERS
WHO WE ARE: Operation Hug-A-Hero™, www.OperationHugAHero.org
WHAT WE DO: Provide FREE Hug-A-Hero™ Dolls to Military Children of Deployed Parents
WHERE: Across the Globe
WHY: To Ease Separation Anxiety for the Children of ALL Active Duty Service Members
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Make Others Aware of Our Inspiring Cause
Jacksonville, North Carolina, June 2009 – Father’s Day is just a few days away but for at least 100,000
children of deployed military members, it will be another day spent thinking about, but not spending
with, their father. Our proud military forces continue the long vigil of defending the United States
from terrorism while bringing freedom and peace to other nations across the globe. Unfortunately, this
worthy and honorable duty often comes at the sacrifice of time spent with family, and sometimes, even
at the cost of American lives lost far from home. This Father’s Day, in addition to recognizing the
contribution of our own fathers, grandfathers and important men in our lives, we should give pause to
consider the fathers that are missing irreplaceable time with their own families while helping to defend
our own. A small non-profit organization, Operation Hug-A-Hero™, provides a very special way to
recognize and support these heroes by bringing peace and comfort to their children back at home.
It has been more than four years since Tricia Dyal created and sent out the first Hug-A-Hero™ doll,
bearing the likeness of a deployed service member, from her home to a child in Jacksonville, North
Carolina. Now, she and co-creator Nikki Darnell are awed by the reception that their Hug-A-Hero™
dolls have gotten all over the globe. They created the dolls to fill a need in their own children’s lives
when their husbands were deployed to Iraq in 2005. Hug-A-Hero™ dolls are a simple design; a full
body picture of a loved one sewn into a soft, washable doll. Their purpose, however, is far from
simple. Easing the loneliness and anxiety of deployments for children of service members, the Hug-AHero
™ dolls are now filling a void for other military children. Hand sewn and individually produced
in the United States, these dolls bridge the gap between those deployed and the families left at home.
When it became obvious how beneficial the dolls were to their children’s emotional well-being, Dyal
and Darnell knew they had to share their creation with the world. The two Marine Corps wives began
making dolls from their homes, formed Daddy Dolls®, Inc., launched a website, and while juggling
their own military moves and deployments, have watched their business grow. “We’re so proud to see
Hug-A-Hero™ dolls touching so many lives all over the world” says Dyal.
From the beginning, it has been Dyal and Darnell’s dream to give their Hug-A-Hero™ dolls to every
military child faced with the stresses and separation of a deployment. “We know first hand that they
help the child cope, and that, in-turn, helps the parents cope,” says Darnell. Shortly after they formed
Daddy Dolls®, Inc., they developed a special fund – financed through the generous donations of
individuals, organizations, and companies. The fund became known as Operation Hug-A-Hero™ and
provides dolls to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty or to children whose families
cannot afford a doll. Already, the organization has been able to help thousands of children, but limited
funds require that recipients come recommended by Chaplains based on need.
Experience has shown that America is filled with amazing people who are willing to support US troops
wherever possible. In some cases, that has meant sending supplies and gifts to the troops overseas.
Even more comforting to fathers and mothers who are deployed is ensuring that there is support and
comfort provided to their families left behind, especially for the children who do not yet comprehend
why the parent must be away. With their Hug-A-Hero™ dolls and other resources designed to help
military families get through long deployments, Dyal and Darnell provide that support to the children
of our military members. In an effort to make donating easier, to provide donors with the tax benefit of
a non-profit donation, and to identify and communicate with those families in need, Operation Hug-AHero
™, Inc. was formed on August 6, 2008. Lisa Berg, Executive Director of Operation Hug-AHero
™, strives tirelessly to match up donor purchased dolls with those children most in need of
support. Dyal and Berg hope that the formation of the non-profit organization will encourage
corporate sponsorships and someday soon allow them to gift Hug-A-Hero™ dolls to every military
child who wants one.
“It’s truly inspiring to see people open their hearts to the children of our deployed service members.
One woman from Massachusetts actually posted a sign in her gym for donations to Operation Hug-AHero
™ and raised over $500!” Dyal relates. “It’s so heart-warming to see people who don’t even have
a connection to the military stepping forward and saying, ‘this is a small way that I can help that
soldier, sailor, airman, marine or Coastguardsman who is defending MY freedom — by doing
something for his or her child.” Berg relates, “There is also a dentist in Louisiana that is reaching out
to our cause by allowing his patients the option to donate at the time of their visit to his office. This
dentist served in the LA Army National Guard with two tours supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
When people realize the numbers of children who are missing a father or mother due to military
deployment, it truly pulls at their heartstrings to lend support.”
Donating to, or learning more about Operation Hug-A-Hero™, is simple and secure thanks to a newly
designed web portal found at www.operationhugahero.org. The website features testimonials and
letters of thanks from families who have been supported from a free doll in addition to blogs about
coping with extended deployments, resources for families, and information about how individuals can
volunteer or kick off fund-raising and awareness in their communities. The site also highlights
Operation Hug-A-Hero’s™ appearance in recent national media and, very importantly, thanks our
generous list of sponsors.
For additional information, pictures and back story on Operation Hug-A-Hero™ or for local points of
contacts (i.e. military families in your local area that have benefited from our services), contact Lisa
Berg or visit www.operationhugahero.org.
CONTACT:
Founder: Tricia Dyal (910) 333-1502, Tricia at OperationHugAHero.org
Executive Director & Media Relations Point of Contact: Lisa Berg (910) 546-3127, Lisa at OperationHugAHero.org
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How much is the average or recommended donation?
June 2, 2009 by Ben Berg
Filed under Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ's
Donations range anywhere from $5 to $1,000. Any amount will help a child in need. To make and deliver one doll to a child, the cost is $30.
