Beyond the Uniform Book Benefits Operation Hug-A-Hero

Operation Hug-A-Hero to Receive Proceeds from Sale of “Beyond The Uniform”

Operation Hug-A-Hero is pleased to announce a partnership with “Beyond the Uniform”, every military girl’s survival guide. The authors, Megan Bekkedahl and Melaina Lausen will graciously donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of their newly released “Beyond The Uniform”, a 226 page guide for those married to or dating someone in uniform.

“Beyond The Uniform” is a collection of stories covering a wide variety of topics concerning military life. These inspirational, sometimes funny, and always interesting stories feature tips on surviving deployment, making new friendships and even includes recipes for entertaining!

The Operation Hug-A-Hero program provides a tangible, comforting connection between military children and their deployed or fallen military loved one. Hug-A-Hero dolls, featuring the photo of the military loved one, become a constant companion for many military children as they face doctor’s visits, tough days at school, or long nights missing the absent parent.

“We believe each child experiencing the absence of a parent deployed or the permanent absence of a parent who has fallen in the line of duty deserves the extra comfort our Hug-A-Hero dolls provide, “ said Lisa Berg, Executive Director, Operation Hug-A Hero. “Each Hug-A-Hero doll is one of a kind.”

Operation Hug-A-Hero salutes the generosity of Ms. Bekkedahl and Ms Lausen. We encourage everyone to purchase their copy of “Beyond The Uniform” to support giving America’s littlest heroes their very own Hug-A-Hero doll. To purchase your copy, simply go to Lulu.com.

For more information contact Lisa Berg, OHAH Executive Director lisa AT operationhugahero.org or Carla Olivo, OHAH Director of Communications media AT operationhugahero.org

Operation Hug-A-Hero® Joins Hilton HHonors Giving Back Program

Operation Hug-A-Hero announces its FIRST Corporate Partnership with Hilton HHonors Giving Back Program!  Loyalty program members donate Hilton HHonors points for children of deployed or Fallen American heroes to receive their own custom made Hug-A-Hero doll.  We are honored to welcome Hilton HHonors Giving Back Program to Our Family.  You can learn about us on the Hilton HHonors Giving Back program here.

To read more about this partnership, see our Press Release on PRUnderground.

3rd Annual 5K and Family Fun Run in Walled Lake, Michigan

Come out and enjoy the 3rd Annual 5K and Family Fun Run hosted in beautiful Walled Lake, Michigan on May 29, 2011.  Walled Lake has supported Operation Hug-A-Hero and The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund for 3 consecutive years!  We appreciate all their support and You can show your support too by joining this Family Fun day.

For more information please go to the Walled Lake, MI website for more information or to Run Michigan dot com to register!

We Heart the Troops Memorial Day Celebration and Benefit May 13th

We Heart the Troops Memorial Day Celebration & Benefit in tribute to the thousands of service members who have served.  This event will take place on May 13th starting at 8pm at the Newport Beachside Resort in Miami.

We appreciate the We Heart the Troops foundation for choosing Operation Hug-A-Hero as one of their beneficiaries to this event.  To register for this event in advance, please go to EventBrite.

TampaBayOnline Features OHAH

Operation Hug-A-Hero’s Executive Director Lisa Berg and her family were featured on Tampa Tribunes’s – TBO.com (Tampa Bay  Online) .  The Story by Geoff Foxx of the Tampa Tribune is an inspirational story that details the history of Daddy Dolls as well as how the Dolls have helped Lisa’s children. Also of great importance is the note regarding the recent troop surge announced by President Obama and how many children of military family’s can be helped by a Donation, so that Operation Hug-A-Hero can supply more Dolls to children whose parents are about to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

With President Obama’s recent announcement that 30,000 troops soon will be sent to Afghanistan, OPERATION Hug-A-Hero is accepting donations so that more Daddy Dolls will find their way to the arms of children who miss their parent. A donation of $25 can get a doll to a child.

Click here to read the entire TBO story entitled Hug-A-Hero dolls provide comfort to children of deployed military.

Related Posts:

December 2, 2009 Press Release – OHAH offers public opportunity to support ‘littlest heroes’

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2009 Holiday Hugs Drive

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:

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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San Diego 6 Highlights Local Family Touched by Operation Hug-A-Hero

A San Diego Marine Corps family was featured this weekend on San Diego 6 (the CW).  Hug-A-Hero dolls helped the two Wilson children keep their father involved in their daily activities and, as the father mentions, allowed them to easily recognize him upon his return from deployment.  Operation Hug-A-Hero seeks to give out 233 Hug-A-Hero dolls to families in need during this holiday weekend, celebrating and honoring our nation’s 233rd year of Independence.

To view the interview, click the link below:

Operation Hug-A-Hero Supports San Diego Family

When the page loads, watch the 10 second advertisement and then the video will start.

Army Wife Network Interview – Update

UPDATE: June 30, 2009

We now have the interview posted here on the site for your viewing pleasure.  If you click on the AWN logo (below) you will be taken to a Podcast site, where you can listen to the entire recorded show..it’s a little over an hour in length, and covers other topics besides OHAH.

We know that time is important to you so we scaled down the original show and picked out just the interview with Lisa Berg of Operation Hug-A-Hero and that you can listen  to  here (approx 13 minutes length).    ARMY WIFE NETWORK -Radio Interview – June 15, 2009

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We are so excited to be featured on the Army Wife Network and to speak with the talented founders on Monday evening, June 15th at 8pm EST.  We will air just after 9pm.  Please tune in to their Blog Talk Radio to hear questions and answers about our cause which we are so passionate about.  We encourage you to listen in and learn more about us!

Press Release June 2009 – Father’s Day

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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