In the holiday spirit... 2010 Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign

Lance Corporal Steven Sheppard, United States Marines

As a follow up to my post from last year, it's that time again. Andrew Saladino, working with Pitney Bowes, reached out to me regarding the 2010 Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign with the Red Cross. The goal of the campaign remains the same as last year: to recruit Americans to send holiday cards with their messages of thanks and cheer to service members, veterans, and their families. It is everyone's hope once again that through this campaign, American service men and women in the U.S. and around the world will receive a much needed touch of home during this holiday season.

The campaign started on September 30 and runs through December 10. You can send your cards to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P O Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

For more information about what types of cards can be sent, how cards should be addressed, and further information regarding how you can get involved, see:

http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail/

I encourage It's Alive in the Lab readers to get involved, not because our son is a Marine who will miss his second consecutive birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's with his family, but because there are many servicemen and women who would love to receive your holiday wishes.

The one that showed me kindness
Was the one that taught me kindness
Though I did not recognize it
Still I might have died without it
And when I awakened
It was too late to thank her
If I live, someday I'll make repayment
And show someone the kindness she showed me
  Todd Rundgren, "Kindness," Second Wind, 1990.

They protect us. It's a chance to make repayment.