October 2021 Newsletter

9/11 Packathon is a Huge Success

At Move America Forward, we put our heart and soul into our mission of troop support.  Part of our support efforts are demonstrated by our annual 9/11 Packathon event. This year\’s Packathon was our way to remember the 20^th anniversary of September 11, 2001 and our brothers and sisters who lost their lives that day. We honor the countless sacrifice made then that fateful day and in the years following, as many of our armed service members joined as a direct response to the terrorist attacks.

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MAF’s 9/11 Packathon goal was to ship 2001 care packages to our deployed troops still serving around the globe as well as prepare another 911 packages for shipping.  Our dedicated volunteers worked shoulder to shoulder with our nation’s bravest defenders to assemble and ship care packages for our deserving troops on the front lines. We are happy to announce that, with the help of our amazing sponsors and volunteers, we crushed our goals!

We thought you might enjoy some of the great coverage we received from The Citrus Heights Messenger and KCRA News 3.

We also included some great photos of the day that great sponsors like you made possible. We thank you and our troops thank you for our generous support.

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Tootsie Pop challenge for our Troops

Remember the classic Tootsie Pop commercial with the little boy curious to know how many licks it would take to get the center of a Tootsie Pop?  After first asking an elderly turtle who advises him that he doesn’t know because he has never made it without out biting, the boy goes on to ask Mr. Owl. The wise owl makes it exactly three licks before crunching down on the pop “One, two, three.  Three” he confidently declares before handing the boy the empty stick. Now our troops have the opportunity to test it out on their own and determine how many licks it truly does take.

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We love including treats for our troops to enjoy in our Move America Forward care packages from home, that’s why we are happy to include iconic Tootsie Pops in our Fall care packages. Individually wrapped and easy to transport, our troops can slip a Tootsie Pop into a pocket or pack and take it on the go to their post or patrol and enjoy it during a rare down moment.

Sometimes being quiet is very important to a mission, so perhaps those quiet moments might lend themselves to finding out how many licks it does take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Tootsie Pops are a part of many childhood memories, who doesn’t remember sorting through Halloween candy and finding several flavors of Tootsie Pops in the coveted trick-or-treat bounty?

Tootsie Pops make an excellent addition to our care packages and our troops will find them right alongside other welcome care package items like premium coffee, protein packed jerky, nuts and sunflower seeds, thirst quenching Gatorade, cushy boot socks, delicious Girl Scout cookies, personal care items and much more.

To our troops out there, let us know how many licks it took you to get to the center of your Tootsie Pop!

Too much Halloween Candy?  We can help!

Halloween is back and coming to communities all across our great nation in just a few short weeks. In many cities and towns, children will once again be allowed to take to the streets in their favorite costume as they travel their neighborhoods collecting sacks of sugary snacks. Once again, we will be greeted with their familiar battle cry! \”Trick-or-Treat!\” 

The Halloween ritual is part of our Fall traditions; familiar to children and parents and celebrated eagerly from generation to generation. Halloween is fun and so is sorting through our massive candy haul eagerly seeking our favorite treats to chow down on. We all know a day or two of kids hyped out on sugar can be a bit much so why not enlist our kids in doing something that will make them feel good on the inside?

Let’s consider a win-win opportunity that affords us a chance to offload some of those sweet treats for a good cause.  The Halloween Candy Buy Back is an excellent option for at least some of your excess treats. As a bonus, it can even let our kids put a few extra bucks in their piggy banks and do something truly special for our troops at the same time.

It’s a breeze to participate. Dental offices around the country buy back Halloween candy at a scheduled events. Check with your provider to see their buy back date, traditionally November 1, but dates can vary. The dental office will often host a fun event where they weigh the candy and exchange it for cash, coupons, toothbrushes, etc. They often partner with local businesses to give away coupons for food, services or goods, and usually have a place set up for the kids to write a personal note to accompany their treats.

Move America Forward is very proud to continue our partnership with the Candy Buy Back Program. Since 2013, when we received our first donation from a Candy Buy Back program, MAF has proudly partnered to ensure our troops receive extra candy and notes of love in their care packages thanks to children, families, dental practices and caring individuals throughout the county.

We thought you would enjoy some images from past Halloween Candy Buy Back Events!

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Girl Scout Cookies Donated to Support Travis Air Force Base

Move America Forward recently donated a big shipment of Girl Scout Cookies to the troops and families of Travis Air Force Base. Troops stationed at Travis Air Force Base were critical in the efforts to evacuate Americans out of Afghanistan as the country was handed over to the Taliban. During a stressful and dangerous time, MAF wanted to make sure the worried families would have a sweet little diversion to help remind them that we were thinking about our troops and their families.

Our troops often face dangerous and uncertain events. We wanted to make sure those troops received just a small acknowledgment that we were thinking about them and wanted to show our support. Travis AFB has always helped out our efforts at Move America Forward through sending us volunteers and even donating to help support our troops with care packages. The donation of Girl Scout Cookies allowed us to just say Thank You!

October Photo of the Month