Defense Alliance of Minnesota Extends its Successful Drive for Soldiers.

By Chip Laingen, Facilitator, Defense Alliance of Minnesota

St. Paul , MN , 10/27/04 – Because of overwhelming support for its drive to benefit deployed service members, the Defense Alliance of Minnesota recently extended the deadline on its three-month “AnySoldier.US” program to December 1st. 80 boxes of supplies from “home” were collected through donations from 20 companies, organizations and individuals around the Twin Cities. The drive was undertaken to support the national organization AnySoldier, Inc. which has over 579 contacts that provide support to over 29,000 service members in Iraq , Afghanistan , and many other areas around the world. Originally scheduled to end in early October, the drive netted a last-minute flow of support and the total shipment will now easily exceed 150 boxes.

“The response was amazing,” said Kelly Beard of the Defense Alliance, who decided to initiative the drive and managed its success. “We can’t bring them home, but at least the boxes are a nice reminder of home… and this is a unique way to let them know we are thinking of them and pulling for their safe return.” Every box contains a variety of items that are uniquely American, and chosen to make their daily routines just a little easier. Items include beef jerky, t-shirts, paperback novels, small toys and sports equipment that Soldiers can hand out to small children in places like Iraq . About 10 percent of the 10-pound boxes are being sent to women service members, and about 10 percent are deployed service members from Minnesota . Also included in each box is a letter from the Defense Alliance thanking each service member for their service and sacrifice to the nation.

“Contributors to the drive came from a wide variety of sources ,” said Edie Goodrich, who spent a great deal of time presenting the drive to companies and individuals. “We were amazed, and it was really heartwarming to see how eager everyone was to contribute to our men and women in uniform.” Those who donated to the Defense Alliance’s “AnySoldier” drive included: the Vadnais Heights Fire Department, Minnesota Wire & Cable Co. employees, the Rawlings Chapter of the Air Force Association, The Anoka Rotary Club, Vadnais Heights Lions Club, the Metropolitan Economic Development Agency-Procurement Technical Assistance Center (MEDA-PTAC), American Business Solutions, International Paper, Drs. North & Watson, Bella Tan, Lakeshore Family Dentistry, Evenson’s Hallmark, Medicine Chest Pharmacy & Camera, Dr. Keith Ostrosky, Holiday Inn Express Bandana Square, Swift Motorcycles-Ghostriders, Al Stallbrook, Wal-Mart Midway, Majestic Pines Casino and Pearson’s Candy Company.

Anyone interested in the drive can call Kelly Beard or Edie Goodrich at (651) 642-1800. You can also contribute to the AnySoldier, Inc. program directly by visiting their Website at www.anysoldier.com, or by visiting the Defense Alliance of Minnesota Website and clicking on “Other Support Groups” on the front page.

The Defense Alliance of Minnesota, formed in July 2004, makes connections among the network of Minnesota companies, organizations and individuals that provide goods and services for the nation’s defense. The ultimate goal of the Alliance is to nurture and expand Minnesota ’s defense industry job base. For questions, call a Defense Alliance Facilitator at (651) 659-6767.