Quad-City packing party thank you

[Ruth, Gun's Mom]

Thank you seems inadequate for all your help and support for the packing party, but I sincerely thank you from my heart. Those sailors are going to be so excited when they see all those boxes and start opening them. Thank you for whatever you did—from donating items to helping pack, leaving flowers and other wonderful things at my doorstep, filling out forms, and taping boxes.

Thank you also to the Dispatch/Argus (especially for pre and post coverage), the QC Times, and WHBF channel 4 for the great publicity. State Farm gets credit for donating 216 water bottles. A special thank you goes to my congressman and his family who came as “civilians” to help without expecting any publicity.

I want to acknowledge the Navy Moms who came from a distance to help—Lauren, Sue, Sally,and Pat came from Ladd, Bloomington, Des Plaines, and Carol Stream.

Lastly, I want to thank the president of the Davenport American Legion Auxiliary, Andrea Kimmerle. Last Monday and Tuesday, she worked with me to repack boxes, finish the custom forms, and fight with that darn tape dispenser!

Tomorrow I should have the postage to affix to 57 boxes plus three cartons so the post office can come get them. I can’t wait to see pictures of those sailors opening them!

Between the packing party and hosting a three day Winter Texan reunion last week, I was exhausted this weekend, but I feel better today. Next week Mike and I will fly to Fairbanks and enjoy 17 days of Alaska, British Columbia, and Seattle. Time to get away!

Please remember our “adopted” sailor at basic training. He’ll be going through battle stations next Thursday. If you need his address again to send words of encouragement or a graduation card for September 16, let me know.

Time to catch up on the rest of my life!

Gratefully,

Ruth

[Marybeth]

 

You did an awesome job Ruth - can't wait to be writing my own thank you letter in a few short weeks.  And no, I'm not looking forward to fighting with the tape dispenser!!  

 

Bravo Zulu to all the QC Mamas!

 

[Ruth, Gun's Mom]

Thank you!  My advice is don't try having such a big event!  For four or five days after, I said NEVER AGAIN.  I will do it again, but not such a big undertaking.  People were generous beyond belief and wanted to help, but we had to repack about half the boxes because of wasted space or not putting things in ziplocks or mixing food with toiletries.  With that many boxes, it was a huge job.  I had good help with filling out the addresses on the customs forms, but had gotten mixed messages about how to do things--I think they have that fixed now.  I had to fill out the contents--the post office gave me approval to put very general descriptions, but we live in small town USA even though we have a quarter of a million people in the area.  Then taping all the boxes shut, attaching the forms takes time.  I just got the postage today, so I'll be back taping tomorrow!  I'm one of the only moms that is retired, plus I'm the crazy one who wanted to do this on this scale.  But the love will be on its way on Wednesday, I think! 

 

My next venture is to put a sign and box in the Legion and have things donated.  When I get enough to send, the Auxiliary will pay for the postage, so we'll do only a few boxes at a time unless I organize everything differently.