Tuesday, November 30, 2010

GHC To Receive 2% Of Sales From Hood River Sears Store This Saturday, Dec 4th




The Gorge Heroes Club is proud to announce that the local Hood River Sears Store will donate 2% of their daily sales for this Saturday, December 4th to GHC!

"Want to do something great for others, and also get something for yourself? Stop by your Hood River Hometown Dealer Store this Saturday, December 4th where you can SAVE with low sale prices PLUS Sears will GIVE 2% of the entire day's proceeds to GORGE HEROES CLUB. Helping others while helping yourself...now that's a great deal."  Daryn Fogle, Owner Hood River Sears

The event will take place at the Hometown Sears Store located at 1795 12th Street in the Heights Shopping Center.  The doors open at 9AM - so please spread the word and plan on starting your holiday shopping off at the Hood River Sears Store!

GHC would like to thank GHC members and store owners, Daryn and Sue Fogle for working with Sears Corporate to make this happen.  We appreciate your support for our heroes.


Proudly,
Your GHC

Monday, November 29, 2010

Support Requests From Oregon National Guard 3-116th CAV Coming In

GHC has been receiving request for the following items from the recently deployed  members of the Oregon National Guard 3-116th CAV unit.


Donations of items can be dropped of at the following locations:


WAAAM  - The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River
Windermere Glenn Taylor Realtors in Bingen, Washingon
Oregon National Guard Armory - The Dalles, Oregon


Requested items:
Current editions of local hometown newspapers plus Time and Newsweek magazines.


Individual packages of:
Gum
Jerky
Cookies
Crackers
Nuts
Trail Mix
Candy
Chocolate
Fruit Bars
Chapstick


Any small snack item that is individually packed that they can slip into their pockets.


Please contact GHC directly at: GHC@gorge.net for further information or questions.


Thank you for supporting our heroes!


Proudly,
Your GHC

Sunday, November 21, 2010

GHC's The Dalles Chapter November Holiday Box Packing Fun!

The Dalles chapter of The Gorge Heroes Club met recently at the Oregon National Guard Armory to put together the holiday care packages to the recently deployed 3-116th CAV Unit. 

GHC's sewing team provided over 135 handmade holiday stockings for the community to come in and help assemble.

Here community members are signing over 135 cards that the GHC Cards team handmade for the troops!


Operation Home Front came to The Dalles and handed out Hug-A-Dolls to the children of the 3-116th CAV members on the same evening as the community box packing. 

The cards that GHC's Cards and Letters Team made for each hero.

The fun begins!  Each community member got in line to stuff the handmade Christmas stockings to each member of the 3-116 CAV - Oregon National Guard.

GHC would like to thank Hood River Safeway and the community members who provided all the goodies for the Christmas stockings for our heroes.

The next community box packing for The Dalles Chapter of GHC will take place in JANUARY - on the third Thursday at The Dalles Oregon National Guard Armory, 7PM.

Proudly,
Your GHC

Friday, November 12, 2010

GHC Gears Up For 3/116 CAV Holiday's For Local Guard Families



Oregon National Guard soldiers from Hood River and The Dalles will depart for Iraq next week with the 3rd Battalion 116th Calvary Brigade Combat Team and plans are already underway to provide their families with some holiday cheer.

Local businessman David Griffith is spearheading the collection of Christmas gifts for the children of 130 soldiers from The Dalles unit that have completed advanced training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and will spend almost one year in the Middle East. He has set up a donation bin at Griffith Motors, 523 E. Third Street, and invites community members to contribute a toy for children in one of four age groups; 0-5, 6-10, 11-14 and 15-18.

The majority of Guard children are elementary school age or younger so Griffith said more items will be needed in that age range. Several of the Army wives are expecting a child within the next few months so newborn items are also welcome. The deadline to drop off unwrapped toys at the car dealership is 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13.


"I decided to help out with this cause because it isn't only the soldier that is serving during a deployment; the entire family is making sacrifices as well. I think it is really important to make the holidays a little brighter for these families because this is going to be a tough Christmas for them," said Griffith.

The Civic Auditorium Board of Directors has donated use of the facilities for the Holiday for Hero Families brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18. Because Santa will be making a visit, photographer Bob Davis of Tableau Vivant has donated his services to capture the moment for absentee mothers and fathers.

Griffith and Les Cochenour, both members of The Dalles Chapter of the Gorge Heroes Club, are working with Lisa Bishop, Family Readiness Group Coordinator for The Dalles unit, and other military families and veterans to organize the brunch.

The group is also busy collecting snack items that will be used to fill Christmas stockings during the assembly of holiday care packages for soldiers:

The Dalles GHC Chapter Troop Holiday Box Packing - 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18, in the armory, 713 Webber Street in The Dalles.

The Hood River Chapter Troop Holiday Box Packing - 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov 24, WAAAM, off Tucker Road in Hood River.

Anyone wanting to donate candy and individually-packaged nuts, cookies, crackers and other treats may drop them at:

The Dalles National Guard Armory from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays

WAAAM - The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum off Tucker Road in Hood River - Open 7 days a week from 9AM to 5PM

Windermere Glenn Taylor Realtors - Bingen, Washington - Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM

Cochenour said GHC is facing its biggest challenge yet to provide boxes each month for 130 Guard members from The Dalles and 35 from the Hood River Armory. He said the group is determined to succeed with the mission and volunteers will be making the rounds of businesses and service organization to ask for financial and/or material contributions.

"It's going to be very expensive to send these boxes each month but that is not going to hold us back because this is something that we all owe these soldiers," said Cochenour. "I realize that there are many groups during the holiday season that are looking for funds but supporting the people that are out there fighting for us should be our first priority."

GHC is holding two community rummage sales to help raise funds for the care packages:

The Dalles Oregon National Guard Armory from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20th

Valley Worship Center - Mt Hood, Oregon from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov 19th and Saturday, Nov 20th

People are invited to clean out their closets and drop off quality used merchandise to either location. Baked goods will also be sold at the event and complimentary hot apple cider and coffee will be served.

"We are going to have some real bargains and all of the money goes to a good cause so mark your calendars and plan to do a little shopping and help our troops at the same time," said Terri Hansen, GHC vice-president.

GHC is a nonprofit organization that provides care packages for anyone serving in the military from the Mid-Columbia region. The group run by volunteers has an account set up at CenterPointe Bank, which has branches in The Dalles and Hood River. Donations are tax deductible. 
 
Proudly,
Your GHC

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

GHC Receives Thanks From 1st Marine Division (Fwd)

The Certificate

The United States Flag and Certificate

The 1st Marine Division (FWD) Coin



The Gorge Heroes Club is honored to have received "thanks" from the 1st Marine Division (Fwd) Headquarters, Camp Leatherneck in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. 

The United States Flag was flown in our honor over Camp Leatherneck on October 6, 2010 and dedicated in our honor by Master Sergeant Carla Perez. 

The certificate is signed by Commanding General J. L. Osterman and Sergeant Major P.A. Fascetti both of the 1st Marine Division (Fwd).

The Gorge Heroes Club is honored to be supporting the members of the 1st Marine Division. 

Sending out special thanks to Master Sergeant Carla Perez for dedication of this honor to the Gorge Heroes Club. 

With great pride,

Your GHC