Send 'A Little Bit of Home' to Troops Abroad
Boost moral for soldiers by donating comforts of home at any AAA office
Bellevue, Wash. — (May 30, 2006) — Memorial Day kicks off the ‘A Little Bit of Home’ campaign to collect goods for our friends and loved ones serving in the harsh conditions of the Middle East. Donations, such as games, snacks, reading materials or handwritten notes, can be dropped off at any AAA office
May 30-June 9.
Program sponsors AAA and Symetra Financial will take care of packing and delivering the donations to service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year’s campaign sent more than 300 boxes of goods to various military locations all over the Middle East. Following last year’s overwhelming response in the Puget Sound area, AAA has expanded the drive to all 25 of its offices in Washington and north Idaho. Local Boy Scout troops will assist with packaging the items for shipment.
"Everyone involved with 'A Little Bit of Home' should feel very good for all their hard work because it was appreciated far beyond what I can describe," wrote Corporal Justin Miller, a serviceman who received packages during last year’s drive. "You put a lot of smiles on the faces of the Marines out there, and boosted morale ten fold!"
Popular items to donate include reading materials, DVDs, hard candy, smoked salmon, writing materials and trail mix (no items that will melt). According to Miller, the beef jerky and other snacks he received were a welcome alternative to standard military issued MRE’s (Meals-Ready-to-Eat). "It’s also amazing what a good book can do for you," added Miller. For a more detailed list of suggested donations go to www.aaa.com and click on "
News & Safety".
A Little Bit of Home was created to give Northwest residents a way to send a "thank you" to the brave men and women serving in the armed forces. Since its inception two years ago, the program has delivered approximately 20,000 pounds of goods to soldiers overseas.
Donations can be made at AAA offices from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday - Friday. For a list of AAA offices, visit
www.aaa.com.
AAA Washington/Inland has been serving members since 1904. Today, the organization’s 900,000 members benefit by roadside assistance and other automotive programs, insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products, trip planning services and highway and transportation safety programs. Information about these products and services is available through any of the company’s 25 service centers in Washington and northern Idaho or at www.aaa.com.
Symetra Financial is a family of companies with nearly a half-century of experience providing retirement plans, employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through independent distributors nationwide. The company has nearly $20 billion in assets1 and is owned by an investor group led by White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. For more information, visit Symetra Financial's Website at www.symetra.com.
1 Total GAAP assets per closing statements of December 31, 2005
Symetra® and the Symetra Financial logo are registered service marks of Symetra Life Insurance Company, 777 108th Avenue NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue, WA 98004.
