The details are getting more and more honed down as we near the two week mark for our Pampering Party.  A HUGE thanks to Olympia Auto Mall for generously being the main sponsor.

Here are the details on the event.

Where do we start.  We are busy putting together a number of support events, encouraging our clients and business friends to support our troops.
Just this week we host an FRG party at Cafe Banana in Lakewood with CDS truck driving school providing a quick lecture on taking advantage of educational opportunities.  Cafe Banana is providing the food for free.   And we have door prizes.
Next, we are helping to support a welcome. home dinner for the 47th Combat Support Hospital - thanks CalPortland for providing the food!  Then we end the week hosting a bunco night for the 47th's junior spouses.
Lots of great things.

We had a very successful support event for the kids October 13.  After the dust cleared, we saw roughly 2,000 children of all ages turn out for a free day of fun.  Our clients, of course, made the day a complete success.  We loved DuPont Realty's free gold fish booth - yep, I kept hearing how excited the kids were to get a free gold fish.  Thanks especially to Richmond American Homes for providing the signature sponsorship for the day's event.  In total, we had 50 businesses show up to spoil the kids.

Since that party, we have also sponsored the Wounded Warrior's Trunk or Treat, the Haunted House on JBLM, the Firefighter's Open House - and this weekend, we have organized with AUSA a care package event with Santa for families of I Corps on JBLM, plus we are saluting our adopted Unit the 218th Veternarians welcome home.

On the horizon, we are sending another of our adopted units, A Co. 5-20th Inf off to Afghanistan with a party.

Finally, we spent October laying the groundwork for our new adopt a unit program at McChord Field.  Businesses that would like to support an Air Force unit can call us to get connected.  Call Chrystal at (253) 584-1212.

The Ranger & NW Airlifter newspapers already have 1500 kids registered to attend their Salute to Unsung Heroesevent.  
   "We are thrilled with the community outpouring of support, including our main sponsor, SDC Homes," said Ken Swarner, publisher of the newspapers.
  Those attending and handing out free prizes or services include Shipwreck Beads, Mattress Makers, Dennys, Hands on Children's Museum, Albertsons, Kaplan, Walmart, YMCA of Lakewood, Lakewood Ford, Dupont Realty, The Ram, The JBLM Commissary, Branding Innovations, Education Services, The Melting Pot, Harborstone Credit Union, The Pet Brigade, Children's Denistry of DuPont, Dhane Orthodontic, America's Credit Union, NW Harley Davidson, Epic Realty, USAA, Hawks Prairie Furniture, Steilacoom High School, Lacey Parks & Recreation, YPN, PAVE, and Il Forno.  
   "It is sure to be the fitting tribute that our local military kids deserve," Swarner added.

Our next big party - an effort to salute our local military kids who have sacrificed so much during the past 10 years is now open for reservations.  The FREE event is a fitting tribute to children that have passed many milestones in their lives while a parent or parents have been deployed.
This event will show them that their trials and tribulations have not gone unnoticed by the local business community.
If your biz would like to participate, email us here.
To see the story on the event, click here.

Military supporters can throw a few bucks in the rucks to support local military presonnel.

The DuPont Sub-chapter of JBLM's Capt Meriwether Lewis Chapter of the Association of the United States Army is collecting money to support two sub-chapter programs - the Single Soldier Project and care packages for deployed troops.

"The money raised does a lot to support the morale of troops returning from war, and those in the warzone this holiday season," said Ken Swarner, president of the DuPont sub chapter.



According to Swarner, the Single Soldier Project gives returning single Soldiers and Airmen gift baskets of toiletries and snacks in their rooms their first night home from deployment.

"Too often, our single troops come home without families there to greet them," said Swarner.  "We want these troops to know they are appreciated, plus with the high rates of suicide, we don't want our troops feeling alone and unloved."

Other monies will support sending care packages to JBLM units deployed this holiday.

"We'll take the donations to support our big care package mailing taking place November 12," Swarner added.  "We invite the families of the deployed to put in personal messages and added goodies, and we pay the postage to send the package down range.  For our younger families, this saves them money for the holidays, plus reminds both the families and the deployed troops how much we support them."

Jolene Houghtaling, a board member with the sub-chapter and employee at America's Credit Union, said her credit union is thrilled to participate in Bucks for Rucks.

"It is so important to make the Single Soldiers and Airmen feel welcomed home, especially the ones that do not have family in the area," Houghtaling added. "The last thing these men and women need to feel is alone when they get back from serving our country."

To make donations, either drop them at the Community 1st Credit Union branches in DuPont or Steilacoom (www.comm1stcu.org/contactus.html), or mail to Bucks in Rucks, c/o The Ranger newspaper, P.O. Box 98801, Lakewood, Wa. 98496.  For more information, email Ken Swarner.

More details will be available September 6th, but mark October 16th on your calendars as The Ranger & NW Airlifter Newspapers, along with SDC Homes hosts A Salute to the Unsung Heroes: Military Kids.

The day will be packed with free goodies, games, food and prizes for the children of our local military personnel.  It's a day to recognize those that have no choice in being part of a military family, and yet sacrifice heavily for this country.  They are our brave boys and girls who shoulder the burden and hardship of having a parent or parents deployed multiple times in harms way.

We are proud to announce this event, and we will have greater details and sign-ups beginning September 6th.

We have had a busy summer.

What a great day for the program.  Elite Mobile Gaming joined us at JBLM for a day of sunshine and great interaction with military readers.

JBLM did an exit survey that day and, of course, our newspaper was number one (beyond MWR's website) in bringing people to the event.  In addition, we were the top newspaper picked for how local military want to learn about MWR activities.

We jaded out our goodie bags and ran out just as the event came to a close (how is that for perfection?).  A special thanks to Claire, Chris, Gina and Lisa for manning the booth that day.

What's next?  We will have the mobile game van out and our booth July 14th on JBLM for Single Soldier Day.

The Pet Fair at the McChord BX went well on Saturday.  It's always nice to add events at the last minute.  This one came courtesy of our good friends at the Pet Brigade on JBLM.

Speaking of the Pet Brigade, we had a great flight with them to March AFB and Travis AFB last week, courtesy of an invite from the 446th Airlift Wing.