OPERATION TRIBUTE

Description: In 2007, Operation Holiday Cheer (“OHC”), a progam to recognize the sacrifice and bravery of the children of military families, was conceived by our founder, Marc Badeau. Marc launched OHC, with the support of a large number of corporate contributors and individual donors. The program sought to provide a holiday gift to each child of Maine’s military families that wanted to participate. This effort extended beyond personal ideology – regardless of one’s beliefs about the war, OHC contended that these children deserved our show of appreciation and support when their moms and dads are away or are haunted by the ever-present specter of deployment. This program was the ideal manner that a grateful nation could show its support for the military without moral conflict – the program transcended the debate of the US role in the Middle East and recognized the forgotten heroes of this conflict. OHC believed that their sacrifice during these difficult times should not go unnoticed.

2007 Results

In 2007, over 8,000 gifts were distributed to over 140 cities and towns throughout the State of Maine. Every child that registered for the program received a gift! Included in each package was a letter addressed to the child which read:

“On behalf of Operation Holiday Cheer and the people of the State of Maine, we would like to offer you this small token of our appreciation for your sacrifice. You are the child of a military family and the bravery that you show every day by sharing your parent to help protect our country is being recognized and honored. You should be extremely proud of your service to our country and should know that we, Operation Holiday Cheer and the people of Maine, stand proudly beside you. We wish you and your family a Happy Holiday Season!!”

OHC also enlisted the support of a number of elementary and middle schools to conduct an individualized (first name only) letter writing campaign to provide a personal note of support from one child to another of the same age and included the letter in the appropriate package. This resulted in the formation of a network of children showing support for other children of their age. The educational benefits of the program was heralded by a large number of teachers and educators.

The gift and these letters resulted in hundreds of letters and phone calls thanking us for our support. One such letter stated “My husband has only been gone 1 week of a 6 month deployment & my kids cry daily because they miss him so much. Your letter of support and caring is something I have never been able to give them. Your letter and gift meant so much to us because for the first time someone looked beyond my husband (the active duty person) or myself (the Spouse) and right to the real heroes – our children. Thank you for helping my kids to understand why their dad can’t be around as much as he would like to and more than anything, thank you for the support”. As stated by hundreds of recipients, Operation Holiday Cheer helped to acknowledge the all-to-often forgotten patriots of this conflict – the children.

2008 Expansion and Results

The news of Operation Holiday Cheer traveled quickly throughout the armed services as military personnel from a large number of states contacting us to participate in the program. This outpouring of support and acceptance of the program allowed us to extend the program throughout New England and New York in 2008. The results were nothing short of spectacular – over $650,000 was raised and over 23,000 holiday gifts were distributed throughout New England and New York! Our public service announcement was communicated throughout New England and New York on all the major networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and Time Warner Cable stations including MSNBC, Comedy Central and ESPN as well as over 30 radio stations and countless newspapers.

On April 29, 2008, OHC was recognized in the U. S. Congressional Record for its service to the children of military families. We were also awarded a Citation of Merit from the Department of Defense in recognition of our efforts. OHC also received a Joint Resolution by the Maine State Senate and Congress commending OHC for its support of military families.

In January 2009, OHC renamed itself Operation Tribute to better reflect its mission of providing tribute to the children of military families. As a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, Operation Tribute, again, seeks to raise money to purchase and deliver a holiday package to every child of military servicemen and servicewomen who is interested in participating and lives in New England or New York. Based upon the feedback received from the branches of the military, the Department of Defense and the recipient families, we firmly believe that Operation Tribute has made, and continues to make, a significant impact in the lives of the children of military families. These children need our support and recognition, and we can’t let them down. Quite simply, Operation Tribute will strive tirelessly to raise money until each and every child has a gift available to them.

We have enlisted the support of Time Warner Cable, CBS, NBC, ABC, Citadel Broadcasting, and a host of other companies and organizations who believe that Operation Tribute is a vital and important project that recognizes the patriotism, valor and sacrifice of these military children during the most difficult time of the year – the holidays. OT provides holiday gifts on a “first-come”, “first-served” basis based upon the funds available so in order to ensure that no child is refused a gift, we need your support.

Target demographics: Children of military families living in New England, New York or New Jersey.

Direct beneficiaries per year: Over 25,000

Someone who had 3 hours of volunteer time could: Help fundraise; help gift wrap and help spread the word about the program.

Geographic areas served: New England, New York and New Jersey

Board Members and Affiliation: Marc Badeau - Founder and Chairman
Adam Hobson - Treasurer
Bruce Hepler - Legal Counsel
Major General John Libby - Adjutant General for the State of Maine
Tom Bard - President - Ruby Tuesdays
Tom Hill - President - TH Creations
Peter DeWitt - Senior Vice President - Time Warner Cable
Mike Sambrook - General Manager - Citadel Broadcasting
Dan Wasneechak - Senior Director - Martin Point's Health Care
Walter Tolsen - President - Cielo Sauces
Rich Cheatham - Connecticut Chairperson
David Hagen - New Hampshire Chairperson
Krystina McMorrow - Vermont Chairperson
Jack Savastano - Massachusetts Chairperson
Patrick Surrette - Owner - Amerprise Financial
Matt Mattingly - Owner - PineCrest Bed & Breakfast
Jason Badeau - Key Club Chairperson
Dick Peterson - President - Tyler Technologies
Ted Sharp - School Superintendent
Ed McCann - NH State Deputy - Knights of Columbus
Gerry Martin - Maine State Deputy - Knights of Columbus
Todd Delaney - Doe & Ingalls