Day 81: Operation Gratitude

It's another crazy weekend for me! In just 24 short hours I will be heading to Wenatchee to watch the Miss East Cascades pageant! In 48 hours, I will be competing for Miss Moses Lake and saying farewell to several Miss Washington sisters. However, before we do so, please take a moment to learn more about my friend Connie!

Meet Connie Morgan, Miss East Cascades 2012

What is the title of your platform?
CM: Wounded Warrior Project

How can others get involved in your platform?
CM: I really think [they] should check out the website "Operation Gratitude." You can write a thank you letter to serviceman or woman. It feels awesome.
http://www.operationgratitude.com

Why did you choose this particular platform?
CM: I come from a military family. I have had relatives fight for our country and thank goodness no one ever came home seriously injured, impaired, unemployed or alone. While no one in my family has been hurt, I am thankful that an organization like WWP exists and is there in case someone (like my brother) does get hurt.  The WWP was ranked one of the top non-profits in the country and was also voted one of the top non-profits to work for. While other non-profits may spend a large portion of their funds on administrative costs, WWP does not and they rely heavily on volunteers.  

(Photo Credit: Michael's Photography)

Thank you notes are always appreciated. Before heading out of town, I grabbed a thank you letter and wrote a heart felt note to a solider. A stranger really. But, no matter if they are a stranger or not, they still deserve my gratitude at the very least. What is often forgotten about letters or packages to our military is that they are ALWYAS appreciated, not just during the holidays. I seriously encourage you to check out the website above, take a few minutes out of your day and simply write a thank you letter to someone who is protecting our country. It really is the least we can do. Not to mention, Connie was right, it does feel awesome! :)

(Connie and me at Miss East Cascades)

God bless,

Kailee 

Day 34: NFL Salute To Service

As we all know, saw or heard, it is Superbowl Sunday! I was hoping to do something relevant to the big event and couldn't find much to go off of. The NFL is a partner with Play60, which is a really cool foundation encouraging kids to play for 60 minutes a day. However, there wasn't much I could do to support them at the time.

I have actually been looking forward to this day. Football, the food, the friends and the commercials, what else could you need? Sadly, I wasn't very impressed with the commercials. There were a few that did stick out though. One was the Miracle Montana Stain. Another was the elders breaking out of assisted living to get some Taco Bell. There was a Jeep commercial with commentary by Oprah to discuss our support for the troops. And finally there was a PSA shown by the NFL and asking for viewer's support to Salute To Service. For example, by texting "WWP" to 50555, you can donate $10 to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Throughout the year, the NFL honors active military members and veterans and organizations such as USO, Pat Tillman and Wounded Warrior Project. If you visit the NFL-Salute page you can learn more and find out how you can donate as well. I decided to donate to Wounded Warrior Project for an array of different reasons. One of them being you can donate anywhere from $1 to $500! Whatever your heart desires.

Football is the All-America sport and can bring out the best- or worst- in us. We view the athletes as heroes who inspire us to be strong and push forward. However, the real heroes are those who are strong and are pushing forward to keep our nation safe and great. Ultimately, I absolutely love that the NFL supports the troops and helps us to remember the true heroes.

God Bless & congratulations to the Ravens!

Kailee