Sending holiday mail to heroes

I want to ask for your help. Your American Red Cross is partnering once again with Pitney Bowes in the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. From now to Dec. 7, cards can be mailed to Holiday Mail for Heroes, P. O. Box 5456, Capital Heights, MD 20791-5456.

Pitney Bowes screens the cards and distributes them to chapters across the United States to be sorted and delivered to service members, their families and veterans in their respective areas. We deliver the cards to people and groups in northern Nevada around Dec. 15. There will be designated areas responsible for shipping the cards to those service members and their families serving overseas.

If you or your group would like to send cards in for this year's program, please address the cards "Dear Hero" and include any words of support or encouragement you desire. There is no need to put in individual envelopes. Take advantage of the one rate boxes or envelopes and put in as many cards as they hold. We hope to reach every service member, veteran, and family member in the northern Nevada area, including everything north of Tonopah, from east to west.

We are asking that you not include phone numbers, e-mail addresses or gifts so that everyone will be receiving similar greetings. Also keep in mind that hospital patients might be receiving the cards so we need to go easy on the glitter. By using "Dear Hero," the cards will be appropriate for veterans as well as family members and, of course, the service member. In northern Nevada, we would like to hear from you if you know someone you feel should receive a card. 

Call our chapter office at (775) 856-1000 to give the name of the person or the organization where the cards will be delivered in December. You may send the information to SAF@nevada.redcross.org. SAF stands for Services to the Armed Forces Program.

It may be early November but I want to remind you of the annual Christmas lighting contest in the Ruhenstroth neighborhood. Howie Althouse agreed to make the award plaque in his woodshop so the winner can display it in their yard. If your son or daughter would like to be a judge this year, contact me by e-mail or phone with their name and age. The winners will be announced in the paper so we will be taking pictures Dec. 12 -15 depending on the weather.

Have a ramblin' good week.

Reach Gail Davis at RuhenstrothRamblings@yahoo.com or 265-1947.