BeaniesForBaghdad.com

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 23:15:40 +0000

We would like to welcome you to our site and thank everyone who helped make this program so successful over the last 5 years. As we enter into our 6th year, our success depends solely on the many generous people like you working together SENDING TOYS to the Troops stationed overseas. We continue to add new Points of Contacts periodically and our list continues to grow.

The troops look forward to receiving and distributing the items you ship creating long lasting friendships and sharing smiles with children where many live in extreme poverty. Your support is very much appreciated and the requests from the troops remains strong.

Please email us at info@beaniesforbaghdad.com for the current mailing addresses of our Points of Contact who will ensure your donations get to the kids who need your support the most. To date, Beanies for Baghdad has received and distributed over 1 MILLION TOYS and tons of school supplies to the children of War Torn Iraq, Afghanistan and now Kosovo!!!
________________________________________

We have several units that need your help and we ask you to email us and we will let you know which units to mail to. This also helps you to know the most recent addresses that are being mailed to. Due to changes in Deployments, addresses do change. You can email us at: info@beaniesforbaghdad.com

ATTN: If you have trouble with the email address above you can email at: dsward@wowway.com

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

"SPECIAL REQUEST"
Please help if you can by making a monetary donation. Shipping costs continue to rise and your help is needed to off set these costs. You can click on Beanies For Baghdad's direct Pay Pal account on the right or mail your monetary donation directly to:
Beanies For Baghdad Inc.
Attention: Donna Ward
6401 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN
47715

Beanies for Baghdad is a registered non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad.

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

The Beanies Are Coming!

"My name is CPT Eric Wigley, and I am the commander for the 511th Military Police Company. My unit is currently deployed to Iraq...Al Kut, specifically. I do, however, have a platoon located further south. I was visiting them recently, and their platoon sergeant, Sergeant First Class Trayton Crow, had just received a few boxes from your organization. He told me about the program and was thrilled to see the beanie babies come in. He was ecstatic. You wouldn't believe the ear-to-ear grin on his face. The most senior individual in this platoon of over 40 Soldiers was the youngest in spirit, if only for a moment. As the Soldiers stopped by the operations center, for various reasons, they were joyous to find the pile of animals staring at them. We work with the local police, and "community policing" is a concept that we are working diligently to pass on. There are many people fighting across the country, but the policeman is someone that children should learn to run towards during crisis situations. There are various situations that put us out in the cities with the Iraqi Police interacting with the children, whether in parks, near their schools, while putting on medical clinics at stations, or just walking the streets. These beanies are a great way to communicate affection and begin to build trust. Thank you so much for your efforts, as they have made a huge contribution. Not only does it bring a smile to the face of a child, it warms the hearts of my Soldiers and the Iraqi Police as they create that smile. Thank you for the support that you have provided this platoon, but I do have a request. Is there any way that we could receive a few boxes for the two platoons that I have with me in Al Kut? It's a great idea, and I would love to be able to do for the kids in the cities around us that my other platoon does down south. If this is possible, please let me know! We have more than 80 Soldiers that go out on mission daily, operating primarily in two cities and various villages. Again, thank you for the support that you've provided to my Soldiers, and I think that your program is wonderful."

Respectfully,

Eric Wigley
CPT, MP
__________________________________
__________________________________

Join The Fill A Box Campaign!
Have just a few items to donate. Please send a card with your items and mail them to the address below and when a box is filled they will be mailed for you. We ask for the card or note, so we can let the soldiers know who is supporting them.

Beanies for Baghdad INC
ATTN: Donna Ward
6401 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN
47715

View topic - Information For Mailing Winter Clothing!

_______________________________________

We invite you to visit our FORUMS and register for membership, read all the news and post your comments and questions.

Check for:
Buy Beanies for $2.00 each and shipped for you FREE!

___________________________________
___________________________________

PFC McKinney of Camp Echo.

SGT Mulford with happy friends in Ghammas and Shinafiyah, which are south of Diwaniyah.

________________________________________

Children from the town of Debeide Debeildeh, Kosovo after a Medcap.
_________________________________________

DefenseLink News Article: America Supports You: Beanies Help Win Hearts, Minds

_________________________________________

Second Lt. Dwayne Edwards, a platoon commander with Company G, 2nd
Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, exchanges "high-fives" with students at
Ma'an Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq Nov. 21. In an effort to encourage
community policing in the city, the Marines and Iraqi police officers
distributed stuffed animals to the students and spoke to them about the
United States and Iraq's joint commitment to the security of Iraq and
development of the critical infrastructure. Edwards, 26, is a Reserve
Marine officer from New York City.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

SSG CAPPONI and new friends.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

Children from the community of Hussein, which is located in northern Diwaniyah.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

And around this door a "Beanie Baby"?
__________________________________________

null

Our Fallen Heroes We Shall Never Forget.

_______________________________

Beanies for Baghdad is a registered public charity and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad. No one receives any salaries.

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 23:14:39 +0000
We were able to visit an Orphanage here in the Karada district of Baghdad. The children have either lost parents their parents to the war or have been abandoned by families unable to care for them under the current conditions. The orphanage houses and cares for the children to the best of their ability, but the kids remain very much isolated from the larger population of Baghdad. The orphanage was discovered by Brigadier General Najim, National Police Antiquities Guards Commanding General, and MAJ Tom Yaroch who have now all but adopted the orphanage and its kids. Without your support we would have had little to offer the children, and we are thankful that we were able to share some time with kids who very much appreciated the attention and affection.

Again, thank you for the support, we greatly appreciate it.

MAJ Eric E Greek
HQ National Police Transition Team
Iraq Assistance Group, MNC-I

____________________________________________

BeaniesForBaghdad.com � Photo Archive List

--------------------------------------

Supporting our Troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo!!

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:05:41 +0000
We would like to welcome you to our site and thank everyone who helped make this program so successful over the last 5 years. As we enter into our 6th year, our success depends solely on the many generous people like you working together SENDING TOYS to the Troops stationed overseas. We continue to add new Points of Contacts periodically and our list continues to grow.

The troops look forward to receiving and distributing the items you ship creating long lasting friendships and sharing smiles with children where many live in extreme poverty. Your support is very much appreciated and the requests from the troops remains strong.

Please email us at info@beaniesforbaghdad.com for the current mailing addresses of our Points of Contact who will ensure your donations get to the kids who need your support the most. To date, Beanies for Baghdad has received and distributed over 1 MILLION TOYS and tons of school supplies to the children of War Torn Iraq, Afghanistan and now Kosovo!!!
________________________________________

We have several units that need your help and we ask you to email us and we will let you know which units to mail to. This also helps you to know the most recent addresses that are being mailed to. Due to changes in Deployments, addresses do change. You can email us at: info@beaniesforbaghdad.com

ATTN: If you have trouble with the email address above you can email at: dsward@wowway.com

__________________________________

Tribute to our Troops at Christmas.

__________________________________

"SPECIAL REQUEST"
Please help if you can by making a monetary donation. Shipping costs continue to rise and your help is needed to off set these costs. You can click on Beanies For Baghdad's direct Pay Pal account on the right or mail your monetary donation directly to:
Beanies For Baghdad Inc.
Attention: Donna Ward
6401 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN
47715

Beanies for Baghdad is a registered non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad.

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

The Beanies Are Coming!

"My name is CPT Eric Wigley, and I am the commander for the 511th Military Police Company. My unit is currently deployed to Iraq...Al Kut, specifically. I do, however, have a platoon located further south. I was visiting them recently, and their platoon sergeant, Sergeant First Class Trayton Crow, had just received a few boxes from your organization. He told me about the program and was thrilled to see the beanie babies come in. He was ecstatic. You wouldn't believe the ear-to-ear grin on his face. The most senior individual in this platoon of over 40 Soldiers was the youngest in spirit, if only for a moment. As the Soldiers stopped by the operations center, for various reasons, they were joyous to find the pile of animals staring at them. We work with the local police, and "community policing" is a concept that we are working diligently to pass on. There are many people fighting across the country, but the policeman is someone that children should learn to run towards during crisis situations. There are various situations that put us out in the cities with the Iraqi Police interacting with the children, whether in parks, near their schools, while putting on medical clinics at stations, or just walking the streets. These beanies are a great way to communicate affection and begin to build trust. Thank you so much for your efforts, as they have made a huge contribution. Not only does it bring a smile to the face of a child, it warms the hearts of my Soldiers and the Iraqi Police as they create that smile. Thank you for the support that you have provided this platoon, but I do have a request. Is there any way that we could receive a few boxes for the two platoons that I have with me in Al Kut? It's a great idea, and I would love to be able to do for the kids in the cities around us that my other platoon does down south. If this is possible, please let me know! We have more than 80 Soldiers that go out on mission daily, operating primarily in two cities and various villages. Again, thank you for the support that you've provided to my Soldiers, and I think that your program is wonderful."

Respectfully,

Eric Wigley
CPT, MP
__________________________________

View topic - Future of Beanies for Baghdad!
__________________________________

Join The Fill A Box Campaign!
Have just a few items to donate. Please send a card with your items and mail them to the address below and when a box is filled they will be mailed for you. We ask for the card or note, so we can let the soldiers know who is supporting them.

Beanies for Baghdad INC
ATTN: Donna Ward
6401 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN
47715

View topic - Information For Mailing Winter Clothing!

_______________________________________

We invite you to visit our FORUMS and register for membership, read all the news and post your comments and questions.

Check for:
Buy Beanies for $2.00 each and shipped for you FREE!

___________________________________
___________________________________

PFC McKinney of Camp Echo.

SGT Mulford with happy friends in Ghammas and Shinafiyah, which are south of Diwaniyah.

________________________________________

Children from the town of Debeide Debeildeh, Kosovo after a Medcap.
_________________________________________

DefenseLink News Article: America Supports You: Beanies Help Win Hearts, Minds

_________________________________________

Second Lt. Dwayne Edwards, a platoon commander with Company G, 2nd
Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, exchanges "high-fives" with students at
Ma'an Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq Nov. 21. In an effort to encourage
community policing in the city, the Marines and Iraqi police officers
distributed stuffed animals to the students and spoke to them about the
United States and Iraq's joint commitment to the security of Iraq and
development of the critical infrastructure. Edwards, 26, is a Reserve
Marine officer from New York City.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

SSG CAPPONI and new friends.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

Children from the community of Hussein, which is located in northern Diwaniyah.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

And around this door a "Beanie Baby"?
__________________________________________

null

Our Fallen Heroes We Shall Never Forget.

_______________________________

Beanies for Baghdad is a registered public charity and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad. No one receives any salaries.

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:04:32 +0000
SSG Ernest Williams helps Ramadi IP giving out beanies/toys to build a better relationship with the community.

null

____________________________________________

CPT Paul Greenberg during a recent beanie distribution.

RUTBAH, Iraq-Muthana Jubaer Juwana, the president of the Rutbah, Iraq, City Council, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Bridget Shanahan, a Navy reservist and corpsman with Shock Trauma Platoon, 2nd Combat Logistics Battalion, speak to first and second grade students at a primary school in Rutbah Dec. 2. Shanahan, 23, is a junior at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Bridget Shanahan, a corpsman with Shock Trauma Platoon, 2nd Combat Logistics Battalion, and Lance Cpl. Michael Johnson, a wireman with Communications Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, hand out stuffed animals to a second grade student at Houran Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq, Dec. 2. Not only was this the first time most of the children at Houran had ever interacted with Coalition forces, but it was an education in the integral role that females serve in the U.S. military

RUTBAH, Iraq-Petty Officer 2nd Class Bridget Shanahan, a corpsman with Shock Trauma Platoon, 2nd Combat Logistics Battalion, and Lance Cpl. Michael Johnson, a wireman with Communications Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, hand out stuffed animals to a second grade student at Houran Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq, Dec. 2. Not only was this the first time most of the children at Houran had ever interacted with Coalition forces, but it was an education in the integral role that females serve in the U.S. military.

_________________________________________

BeaniesForBaghdad.com � Photo Archive List

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:37:12 +0000
We would like to welcome you to our site and thank everyone who helped make this program so successful over the last 5 years. As we enter into our 6th year, our success depends solely on the many generous people like you working together SENDING TOYS to the Troops stationed overseas. We continue to add new Points of Contacts periodically and our list continues to grow.

The troops look forward to receiving and distributing the items you ship creating long lasting friendships and sharing smiles with children where many live in extreme poverty. Your support is very much appreciated and the requests from the troops remains strong.

Please email us at info@beaniesforbaghdad.com for the current mailing addresses of our Points of Contact who will ensure your donations get to the kids who need your support the most. To date, Beanies for Baghdad has received and distributed over 1 MILLION TOYS and tons of school supplies to the children of War Torn Iraq, Afghanistan and now Kosovo!!!
________________________________________

We have several units that need your help and we ask you to email us and we will let you know which units to mail to. This also helps you to know the most recent addresses that are being mailed to. Due to changes in Deployments, addresses do change. You can email us at: info@beaniesforbaghdad.com

ATTN: If you have trouble with the email address above you can email at: dsward@wowway.com

__________________________________

Tribute to our Troops at Christmas.
__________________________________

"SPECIAL REQUEST"
Please help if you can by making a monetary donation. Shipping costs continue to rise and your help is needed to off set these costs. You can click on Beanies For Baghdad's direct Pay Pal account on the right or mail your monetary donation directly to:
Beanies For Baghdad Inc.
Attention: Donna Ward
6401 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN
47715

Beanies for Baghdad is a registered non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad.

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

The Beanies Are Coming!

"My name is CPT Eric Wigley, and I am the commander for the 511th Military Police Company. My unit is currently deployed to Iraq...Al Kut, specifically. I do, however, have a platoon located further south. I was visiting them recently, and their platoon sergeant, Sergeant First Class Trayton Crow, had just received a few boxes from your organization. He told me about the program and was thrilled to see the beanie babies come in. He was ecstatic. You wouldn't believe the ear-to-ear grin on his face. The most senior individual in this platoon of over 40 Soldiers was the youngest in spirit, if only for a moment. As the Soldiers stopped by the operations center, for various reasons, they were joyous to find the pile of animals staring at them. We work with the local police, and "community policing" is a concept that we are working diligently to pass on. There are many people fighting across the country, but the policeman is someone that children should learn to run towards during crisis situations. There are various situations that put us out in the cities with the Iraqi Police interacting with the children, whether in parks, near their schools, while putting on medical clinics at stations, or just walking the streets. These beanies are a great way to communicate affection and begin to build trust. Thank you so much for your efforts, as they have made a huge contribution. Not only does it bring a smile to the face of a child, it warms the hearts of my Soldiers and the Iraqi Police as they create that smile. Thank you for the support that you have provided this platoon, but I do have a request. Is there any way that we could receive a few boxes for the two platoons that I have with me in Al Kut? It's a great idea, and I would love to be able to do for the kids in the cities around us that my other platoon does down south. If this is possible, please let me know! We have more than 80 Soldiers that go out on mission daily, operating primarily in two cities and various villages. Again, thank you for the support that you've provided to my Soldiers, and I think that your program is wonderful."

Respectfully,

Eric Wigley
CPT, MP
__________________________________

View topic - Future of Beanies for Baghdad!
__________________________________

Join The Fill A Box Campaign!
Have just a few items to donate. Please send a card with your items and mail them to the address below and when a box is filled they will be mailed for you. We ask for the card or note, so we can let the soldiers know who is supporting them.

Beanies for Baghdad INC
ATTN: Donna Ward
6401 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN
47715

View topic - Information For Mailing Winter Clothing!

_______________________________________

We invite you to visit our FORUMS and register for membership, read all the news and post your comments and questions.

Check for:
Buy Beanies for $2.00 each and shipped for you FREE!

___________________________________
___________________________________

PFC McKinney of Camp Echo.

SGT Mulford with happy friends in Ghammas and Shinafiyah, which are south of Diwaniyah.

________________________________________

Children from the town of Debeide Debeildeh, Kosovo after a Medcap.
_________________________________________

Beanies for Baghdad helps Silver Star Families of America in Germany � Silver Star Day May 1, 2008 at Landstuhl

DefenseLink News Article: America Supports You: Beanies Help Win Hearts, Minds

_________________________________________

Second Lt. Dwayne Edwards, a platoon commander with Company G, 2nd
Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, exchanges "high-fives" with students at
Ma'an Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq Nov. 21. In an effort to encourage
community policing in the city, the Marines and Iraqi police officers
distributed stuffed animals to the students and spoke to them about the
United States and Iraq's joint commitment to the security of Iraq and
development of the critical infrastructure. Edwards, 26, is a Reserve
Marine officer from New York City.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

SSG CAPPONI and new friends.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

Children from the community of Hussein, which is located in northern Diwaniyah.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

And around this door a "Beanie Baby"?
__________________________________________

null

Our Fallen Heroes We Shall Never Forget.

_______________________________

Beanies for Baghdad is a registered non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad.

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:36:11 +0000
Donna,

Thanks so much for the BB Program!! I cannot begin to describe the joy
on the faces on the orphans that visited our base yesterday. They loved
the cute little beanie babies and were especially excited with the
variety of choices. One little boy in particular chose a little kitten
and did not put it down the entire visit.

V/r
COL Jenny Merkle

_______________________________________

Donna,

Thank you for all you do for everyone involved with your program. Words
can't express how many lives are touched by your program and the people
who volunteer to be part of the giving. The sacrifices you all make are
truly felt at the recipient end- I can testify to that account!

v/r
Lorain

Lorain Land
CBRNE Analyst
MNFI-CJ2 CIOC/A&P

____________________________________

We were able to visit an Orphanage here in the Karada district of Baghdad. The children have either lost parents their parents to the war or have been abandoned by families unable to care for them under the current conditions. The orphanage houses and cares for the children to the best of their ability, but the kids remain very much isolated from the larger population of Baghdad. The orphanage was discovered by Brigadier General Najim, National Police Antiquities Guards Commanding General, and MAJ Tom Yaroch who have now all but adopted the orphanage and its kids. Without your support we would have had little to offer the children, and we are thankful that we were able to share some time with kids who very much appreciated the attention and affection.

Again, thank you for your support, we greatly appreciate it.

MAJ Eric E Greek
HQ National Police Transition Team
Iraq Assistance Group, MNC-I

______________________________________

I must say that I was totally amazed at the response from the people in your group. I have received probably between 60 and 75 boxes!! I have most of the names of people who have sent boxes, I didn't realize there were so many beanie babies out there! I gave several boxes to the group of local guys that worked for me to take home to their kids and the kids in their villages. I have also given boxes to many of the different groups of guys going out to pass out on their missions, they are only able to toss them out of the vehicles to the kids along the roads. I took several boxes to the Egyptian hospital and passed to the kids and families there, it was good in a lot of ways but it wasn't very organized, they get so excited about getting things that they start just crowding around and grabbing before you can pass them out.
I have to tell you about the one little girl there; she was probably about 10 yrs old. She was inside the hospital, I believe with someone in her family. Unlike everyone else who was grabbing for themselves, she would wait for me to hand her something and then she would take it to one of the kids in the beds, she was so sweet. It was amazing to see her devotion to others where most just look out for themselves.

Please let everyone know how much I appreciate their dedication to helping others, I never expected the out-pouring of support that I saw. I know that the ones who received stuff really appreciated them, my group of guys were amazed and said they had not seen so much stuff donated since the Americans have been here.

Again, Mrs. Donna, thank you for all that you do. May God Bless you and everyone in your organization. I truly believe that the way to prevent wars tomorrow is to win over the kids today. I pray that you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Take care and God Bless!!

Thanks,

SFC Jesse Boyd
101st Joint Logistics Command
Fleet Manager; Ground Maintenance
BAF, Afghanistan

_______________________________________

Reserve Marines encourage community policing
by Capt. Paul Greenberg
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq� Reserve Marines based here teamed up with Iraqi Police Nov. 21 to visit Ma�an Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq, to provide a venue for the police officers to begin mentoring children at one of the town�s poorest schools and to get an idea of conditions for the students there.

The Marines from Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 brought more than 300 stuffed animals for the police officers and school officials to distribute to the students.

The stuffed animals were sent to the Marines by private citizens from all over America who made their donations through Beanies for Baghdad, a 501(c) non-profit organization under the umbrella of America Supports You.

Some of the stuffed animals were mailed by Webelos Pack #1968 in Fairfax, Va. Others were sent by Ross Williamson, a high school senior in Bolton, Conn., who explained in his letter that he is collecting and sending 2,000 stuffed animals to U.S. troops all over the world as his senior project.

Before giving out the toys, the Iraqi Police took the opportunity to speak to the children about their partnership with Coalition forces and their commitment to the people of their community.

�Coalition forces are working in conjunction with the Iraqi Police to ensure the safety of the citizens of Rutbah,� said Ahmed Mohammed Mahmud Sabbar in Arabic, addressing a fourth-grade class. Sabbar, a 21-year-old policeman, is originally from Baghdad and has served on the Rutbah force for the past year.

�American troops are here to assist the Iraqi government in improving the quality of life,� continued Sabbar. �Coalition forces are working with the Rutbah city council to help improve education in Rutbah. Coalition forces will be departing soon, but they want to leave this gesture of goodwill sent by the people of the United States.�

Sabbar and another police officer then passed out the stuffed animals to the children while, with the help of an interpreter, the Marines spoke with the school principal, Hashim Eprahem Awad, 44, a Rutbah native.

�I�m happy that the police are here to speak to the children for the first time,� said Awad, whose brother, a captain in the Iraqi Police, was killed in the line of duty in Ramadi in October. �(The police) are like our families. We know they are helping us to destroy the terrorists so we can sleep comfortable at night.�

After departing the school, the Marines made the hour-long drive back to their base and disembarked their vehicles for a patrol debrief.

Capt. William Steuber, 34, the battalion lines-of-operations manager from Rochester, N.Y., took the opportunity to explain to the Marines, from the battalion leadership�s perspective, the value of the mission they had just completed.

�I know you may be asking yourselves, �How can something as simple as a beanie baby make a difference in our mission here?� Well, I�ll tell you. These young people are the future of Iraq. From their earliest memories, all they have known is war and an American military presence in their city,� said Steuber, who had been meeting with the Rutbah city council leaders to discuss ways to improve the local educational system while the other Marines and police officers were delivering the toys and inspecting the school.

�Most of these kids have never met Americans face-to-face before today. We were the first ones, and we brought them stuffed animals, something they�ve probably never had before. They will remember this, and they will remember you, the positive impression you made today. This isn�t just winning hearts and minds. We�re paving the way for future relations. These kids may be business partners with your kids one day. We�re setting the stage right now for building that future relationship.�

___________________________________

___________________________________

Let me just start out by saying that I have been receiving so many packages from B4B! The kids are so excited that we have these great stuffed animals to hand out to them!! The Commander personally thanked me for finding your organization, and wanted me to send his thanks your way for being so generous and getting us all of the toys! I 've sent out a bunch of thank you cards already to the amazing people I have gotten boxes from. And just when I think I am done, I get a bunch more packages! But I am definitely not complaining, by any means.
-Travis Cipolla

Thanks for all your support, the beanie babies have been very helpful for not only me and my platoon but for my company in Baghdad. Your support with the Beanie Babies has indirectly helped us secure our area and has helped us in building relations with the people. We didn't know that the magnitude of a kind act, such as giving out beanie babies every mission to the locals, would pay dividends for us. Thanks again!

1LT Settles
Platoon Leader

Kaskel, Russell T USA LTC USAF Commander, PRT Panjshir

My name is Jon Taylor and I am the Command Sergeant Major of ARSIC-C, which stands for Afghanistan Regional Security Integration Command - Central. My unit is made up of about 1,200 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. Our mission is to train and mentor the Afghanistan National Army and Afghanistan National Police. My service men and women serve and fight with these brave Afghans every day.

I am finishing up my tour here in September, and everyone always hopes to accomplish something of lasting value during their tour "downrange". Fortunately, I was recently introduced to some wonderful folks who have made that hope a reality for me. Donna Ward, Dorinda Oshier and Terry Fults, along with gentlemen named Pugman helped get me going with Beanies For Baghdad. I met Pugman (Dale) via email as a member of the American Legion Riders, a motorcycle organization I joined before coming to Afghanistan. Thus far, I have received hundreds and hundreds of beanie babies from your folks and more are arriving every day.

We, as Americans, cannot begin to understand the poverty and despair the children of Afghanistan live with every day. So, it is so heartwarming to witness the joy these beanies bring to the children here. It is unfair that you all cannot be present to witness it yourself. It really is an incredible site. The closest I can come to describing this happiness and joy is the look on a small child's face on Christmas morning when they saw the presents under the tree. It is awe inspiring!

On occasion, there is a note or card in one of the boxes and usually it is written in that unique handwriting of a child. I would like to share one such letter that I received from a girl, age unknown, named Jessica from North Carolina. Her letter is not cursive, but printed neatly and precisely. Jessica writes:

"Hi, my name is Jessica. Thank you so much for taking time to hand out my beanies to kids who have nothing. We thank you so much. I'll send more when I have the money to ship them. Thank you for fighting for our country. One more small thing, can you send me some pictures to this address?"

I think we all can learn some valuable lessons from Jessica. Here is a little girl who is spending her own money to send these and then she thanks me three times in her letter! I feel proud to be from the same country as this little girl. She, and others like her, are the heart and soul of the America I know. Thank you Jessica, and thank you to all of you at BeaniesForBaghdad (Secretly I call it Animals for Afghanistan). You folks are all great Americans and our country is fortunate to have you. Keep the home fires burning........ Jon

_________________________________________

SFC Trayton Crow and Team.

"My name is CPT Eric Wigley, and I am the commander for the 511th Military Police Company. My unit is currently deployed to Iraq...Al Kut, specifically. I do, however, have a platoon located further south. I was visiting them recently, and their platoon sergeant, Sergeant First Class Trayton Crow, had just received a few boxes from your organization. He told me about the program and was thrilled to see the beanie babies come in. He was ecstatic. You wouldn't believe the ear-to-ear grin on his face. The most senior individual in this platoon of over 40 Soldiers was the youngest in spirit, if only for a moment. As the Soldiers stopped by the operations center, for various reasons, they were joyous to find the pile of animals staring at them. We work with the local police, and "community policing" is a concept that we are working diligently to pass on. There are many people fighting across the country, but the policeman is someone that children should learn to run towards during crisis situations. There are various situations that put us out in the cities with the Iraqi Police interacting with the children, whether in parks, near their schools, while putting on medical clinics at stations, or just walking the streets. These beanies are a great way to communicate affection and begin to build trust. Thank you so much for your efforts, as they have made a huge contribution. Not only does it bring a smile to the face of a child, it warms the hearts of my Soldiers and the Iraqi Police as they create that smile. Thank you for the support that you have provided this platoon, but I do have a request. Is there any way that we could receive a few boxes for the two platoons that I have with me in Al Kut? It's a great idea, and I would love to be able to do for the kids in the cities around us that my other platoon does down south. If this is possible, please let me know! We have more than 80 Soldiers that go out on mission daily, operating primarily in two cities and various villages. Again, thank you for the support that you've provided to my Soldiers, and I think that your program is wonderful."

Respectfully,

Eric Wigley
CPT, MP

________________________________

I received a box today and signed on to send you a picture. There was your email! Our "shop" is our office. I am the person in charge of the civil affairs team. We deal with the local population and government. We build schools, hospitals and provide food and clothing. The scope of our work is huge. Most of the positive events you have seen in Kirkuk or Tameem we have had a hand in. As far as the toys and clothing goes we distribute it to children when we leave our compound. We also provide it to other units when they deal with the Iraqi's. The children are very appreciative. The Army and the Iraq government are making great strides in our area in the reduction of violence and creating jobs and encouraging businesses. In just a couple of years this area of the country will be very prosperous and peaceful. Thank you for your good work and tell everyone the soldiers appreciate knowing they have the support of folks at home.

CPT Geoffrey H. Dutton
Civil Affairs
Bravo Team Leader

____________________________________

LTC Julie Hosmer in Kosovonull

___________________________________

null
CPT Jamie Bazdaric and team
Thank you to all of the people who supported me this last year with the Beanie Babies and other items for my teammates!! A quick last thank you to Cynthia DeRiemer and her Student Council at Riverside Elementary for their motivating letters, Mike Smith, and the Curtain Family for my most recent boxes. My time here is close to an end, but I will have my replacement get his new address to you when he gets here. Never forget what a special gift to a child means and how much the little things like that can bring joy to them. To all the teachers who are showing our children the value of giving I want to give a very special thank you. This assignment has been one that has taught me a lot not only about this country, but about my own and the special people in it who do know that giving always is rewarding and Donna has worked very hard to give us all a program that enables us�.so a Very Special Thanks to her!! Take care all.

CPT Jamie Bazdaric

"You can see by the smiles that we did manage to bring a little joy into their lives that day. I will never forget the looks of pure joy on their little faces, and I hope these pictures can convey at least a little the part you played in that. Thanks for sending the toys for these children, as I've told everyone in the Beanies for Baghdad program, you wouldn't believe the bridges we've built, the doors we've opened, and the friends we've made with these simple little gifts.
God Bless, Major Dan Wilson"
------------------------------

Seasons Greetings,
Thank you so much for the Beanie Babys. I am currently serving in Iraq as a military transition team chief in Hawijah, Iraq (40 miles SW of Kirkuk). I received a box from you about three months ago. It was addressed to MAJ Dan Wilson. I don't know who Dan Wilson is, but I took possession of the box and distributed the toys to the children from the local area. We took some pictures for your enjoyment. Thank you so much for caring. Your generousity is very appreciated.

MAJ Thom Genter
_________________________________________

_________________________________________

CSM Haynes and LTC Jim Barker

Dear B4B fans and support network,

I can honestly say that it is good to be back in Iraq. My Soldiers and I definitely feel that we are making a difference in this country.

Your generosity is a critical component to our success. We need to assist the Iraqi people to provide security for themselves and the confidence to meet those needs in our absence...that's our ticket back home. Together, with your help, we can indeed "win the hearts and minds of the people".

The boxes you ship are now arriving consistently at 4-5 per day. We took some time this afternoon to get everything organized for our first "beanie drop" since my return to Iraq.

There is a large orphanage in Dibbis, Iraq that is responsible for over 1000 children. With your generosity, we will ensure that every child there receives a new toy. We have also been blessed with a mountain of pens, pencils, glue, scissors etc. that we will share as well.

On behalf of CSM Haynes, myself and all the Soldiers proudly serving in Iraq....THANK YOU!

Regards,

LTC Jim Barker

_____________________________________

Hi , Merry Christmas!! We are receiving boxes fairly regularly. Thank you for all the hard work. We are getting pictures from the teams but rather slowly. This email address is the civil affairs team mail box. It can be accessed by any of my team and will be transferred to the unit that takes over for us. Feel free to ask questions, we can communicate much of what we are doing. Reassure everyone at home that Iraq is not a lost cause or our actions are in vain. We make small steps everyday and occasionally get big breakthroughs. You may have heard in the news about the Arabs returning to the provincial council and progress in article 140. Schooling in our province is making a lot of headway, so is health care. Our violence rate is dropping steadily. Again ,thanks for all your support materially and spiritually.

Geoff Dutton
Civil Affairs B team leader

____________________________________

"My name is SPC David Ward and I am Assistant Chaplain at Camp TQ. I want to thank you for the boxes that we have received and to let you know they are greatly appreciated. It means a lot to the troops to know that we are supported and cared about.
May God bless and keep you during these upcoming Holidays."

Sincerely, SPC David Ward

___________________________________

Major Rick Fulgium and Team.

___________________________________

___________________________________

Having served my country for over 13 years, I can clearly state, besides becoming a father of three great kids, and serving in the Army of the world's greatest nation. Today was a proud to be an American day. Being at the Iraqi school, and watching the faces of the Iraqi children light up when they recieved their very own Beanie Baby was priceless. It means more to me than any medal the Army could ever present me, I will treasure it forever. Thank you for your generous donation to Major Barker's cause, to bring a little cheer to a people that has been oppressed for so long. Remember, "the world's children are our Future, and change starts at home and heart".

SSG Grady Parris aka "Shady"

___________________________________

Sat, 1 Nov 2008 18:32:14 +0000
We would like to welcome you to our site and thank everyone who helped make this program so successful over the last 5 years. As we enter into our 6th year, our success depends solely on the many generous people like you working together SENDING TOYS to the Troops stationed overseas. We continue to add new Points of Contacts periodically and our list continues to grow.

The troops look forward to receiving and distributing the items you ship creating long lasting friendships and sharing smiles with children where many live in extreme poverty. Your support is very much appreciated and the requests from the troops remains strong.

Please email us at info@beaniesforbaghdad.com for the current mailing addresses of our Points of Contact who will ensure your donations get to the kids who need your support the most. To date, Beanies for Baghdad has received and distributed over 1 MILLION TOYS and tons of school supplies to the children of War Torn Iraq, Afghanistan and now Kosovo!!!
________________________________________

We have several units that need your help and we ask you to email us and we will let you know which units to mail to. This also helps you to know the most recent addresses that are being mailed to. Due to changes in Deployments, addresses do change. You can email us at: info@beaniesforbaghdad.com

__________________________________

Tribute to our Troops at Christmas.
__________________________________

"SPECIAL REQUEST"
Please help if you can by making a monetary donation. Shipping costs continue to rise and your help is needed to off set these costs. You can click on Beanies For Baghdad's direct Pay Pal account on the right or mail your monetary donation directly to:
Beanies For Baghdad Inc.
Attention: Donna Ward
6401 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN
47715

Beanies for Baghdad is a registered non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad.

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

The Beanies Are Coming!

"My name is CPT Eric Wigley, and I am the commander for the 511th Military Police Company. My unit is currently deployed to Iraq...Al Kut, specifically. I do, however, have a platoon located further south. I was visiting them recently, and their platoon sergeant, Sergeant First Class Trayton Crow, had just received a few boxes from your organization. He told me about the program and was thrilled to see the beanie babies come in. He was ecstatic. You wouldn't believe the ear-to-ear grin on his face. The most senior individual in this platoon of over 40 Soldiers was the youngest in spirit, if only for a moment. As the Soldiers stopped by the operations center, for various reasons, they were joyous to find the pile of animals staring at them. We work with the local police, and "community policing" is a concept that we are working diligently to pass on. There are many people fighting across the country, but the policeman is someone that children should learn to run towards during crisis situations. There are various situations that put us out in the cities with the Iraqi Police interacting with the children, whether in parks, near their schools, while putting on medical clinics at stations, or just walking the streets. These beanies are a great way to communicate affection and begin to build trust. Thank you so much for your efforts, as they have made a huge contribution. Not only does it bring a smile to the face of a child, it warms the hearts of my Soldiers and the Iraqi Police as they create that smile. Thank you for the support that you have provided this platoon, but I do have a request. Is there any way that we could receive a few boxes for the two platoons that I have with me in Al Kut? It's a great idea, and I would love to be able to do for the kids in the cities around us that my other platoon does down south. If this is possible, please let me know! We have more than 80 Soldiers that go out on mission daily, operating primarily in two cities and various villages. Again, thank you for the support that you've provided to my Soldiers, and I think that your program is wonderful."

Respectfully,

Eric Wigley
CPT, MP
__________________________________

View topic - Future of Beanies for Baghdad!
__________________________________

Join The Fill A Box Campaign!
Have just a few items to donate. Please send a card with your items and mail them to the address below and when a box is filled they will be mailed for you. We ask for the card or note, so we can let the soldiers know who is supporting them.

Beanies for Baghdad INC
ATTN: Donna Ward
6401 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN
47715

View topic - Information For Mailing Winter Clothing!

_______________________________________

We invite you to visit our FORUMS and register for membership, read all the news and post your comments and questions.

Check for:
Buy Beanies for $2.00 each and shipped for you FREE!

___________________________________
___________________________________

PFC McKinney of Camp Echo.

SGT Mulford with happy friends in Ghammas and Shinafiyah, which are south of Diwaniyah.

________________________________________

Children from the town of Debeide Debeildeh, Kosovo after a Medcap.
_________________________________________

Beanies for Baghdad helps Silver Star Families of America in Germany � Silver Star Day May 1, 2008 at Landstuhl

DefenseLink News Article: America Supports You: Beanies Help Win Hearts, Minds

_________________________________________

Second Lt. Dwayne Edwards, a platoon commander with Company G, 2nd
Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, exchanges "high-fives" with students at
Ma'an Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq Nov. 21. In an effort to encourage
community policing in the city, the Marines and Iraqi police officers
distributed stuffed animals to the students and spoke to them about the
United States and Iraq's joint commitment to the security of Iraq and
development of the critical infrastructure. Edwards, 26, is a Reserve
Marine officer from New York City.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

SSG CAPPONI and new friends.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

Children from the community of Hussein, which is located in northern Diwaniyah.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

And around this door a "Beanie Baby"?
__________________________________________

null

Our Fallen Heroes We Shall Never Forget.

_______________________________

Beanies for Baghdad is a registered non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad.

Sat, 1 Nov 2008 18:23:32 +0000
1SG Euripides Perez, A/2-150 FA (151) - Q-West Base Complex, during Humanitarian Missions in Iraq.

___________________________________

It is great to be able to pass out soccer balls to the balls but even nicer when you can share a beanie with a child.

The other girls are in front of the American embassy waiting for family
refugee interviews.

The little 6-year old boy in the hospital bed lost his left hand to
burns and might lose his right foot as it is in bad condition. He was
so happy with his soccer ball he sang me a song and I was told by the
nurses that it was the first time he sang in the month he has been
hospitalized!

TOM CRUISE
HUMAN RIGHTS/INVESTIGATIONS ADVISOR
MOD-TT INSPECTOR GENERAL OFFICE, MNSTC-I

__________________________________

CPT Paul Greenberg with the Marines of 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 spread American goodwill to the children of Iraq Oct. 21-23. The Marines distributed more than a hundred stuffed animals while patrolling the streets of Rutbah, an impoverished town of about 20,000 in western al-Anbar province.

Lance Cpl. Michael Aylward, 24, of Hanover, Mass., gives a stuffed animal to a boy while on patrol in Rutbah, Iraq, Oct. 21.
A Marine from 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 gives stuffed animals to children on their way home from school in Rutbah, Iraq, Oct. 21

Cpl. Joseph Shutta

Spc. Ryan Harvey, a U.S. Army reservist based at Camp Korean Village in Iraq�s western al-Anbar Province, hands out stuffed animals to children while on patrol with Marines and sailors of Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 in Rutbah, Iraq, Oct. 23.

CPT Paul Greenberg after a beanie distribution.

___________________________________________________

BeaniesForBaghdad.com � Archive List back to 2003

___________________________________________________

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:55:37 +0000
We would like to welcome you to our site and thank everyone who helped make this program so successful over the last 5 years. As we enter into our 6th year, our success depends solely on the many generous people like you working together SENDING TOYS to the Troops stationed overseas. We continue to add new Points of Contacts periodically and our list continues to grow.

The troops look forward to receiving and distributing the items you ship creating long lasting friendships and sharing smiles with children where many live in extreme poverty. Your support is very much appreciated and the requests from the troops remains strong.

Please email us at info@beaniesforbaghdad.com for the current mailing addresses of our Points of Contact who will ensure your donations get to the kids who need your support the most. To date, Beanies for Baghdad has received and distributed over 1 MILLION TOYS and tons of school supplies to the children of War Torn Iraq, Afghanistan and now Kosovo!!!
________________________________________

We have several units that need your help and we ask you to email us and we will let you know which units to mail to. This also helps you to know the most recent addresses that are being mailed to. Due to changes in Deployments, addresses do change. You can email us at: info@beaniesforbaghdad.com

__________________________________

BeaniesForBaghdad.com-Videos
__________________________________

"SPECIAL REQUEST"
Please help if you can by making a monetary donation. Shipping costs continue to rise and your help would be much appreciated to off set these costs. You can click on Beanies For Baghdad's direct Pay Pal account on the right or mail your monetary donation directly to:
Beanies For Baghdad Inc.
Attention: Donna Ward
6401 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN
47715

Please remember! Beanies for Baghdad is a registered non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad.

__________________________________

View topic - Winter Clothing Needed!
__________________________________

View topic - October, 2008 Update!
__________________________________

The Beanies Are Coming!

"My name is CPT Eric Wigley, and I am the commander for the 511th Military Police Company. My unit is currently deployed to Iraq...Al Kut, specifically. I do, however, have a platoon located further south. I was visiting them recently, and their platoon sergeant, Sergeant First Class Trayton Crow, had just received a few boxes from your organization. He told me about the program and was thrilled to see the beanie babies come in. He was ecstatic. You wouldn't believe the ear-to-ear grin on his face. The most senior individual in this platoon of over 40 Soldiers was the youngest in spirit, if only for a moment. As the Soldiers stopped by the operations center, for various reasons, they were joyous to find the pile of animals staring at them. We work with the local police, and "community policing" is a concept that we are working diligently to pass on. There are many people fighting across the country, but the policeman is someone that children should learn to run towards during crisis situations. There are various situations that put us out in the cities with the Iraqi Police interacting with the children, whether in parks, near their schools, while putting on medical clinics at stations, or just walking the streets. These beanies are a great way to communicate affection and begin to build trust. Thank you so much for your efforts, as they have made a huge contribution. Not only does it bring a smile to the face of a child, it warms the hearts of my Soldiers and the Iraqi Police as they create that smile. Thank you for the support that you have provided this platoon, but I do have a request. Is there any way that we could receive a few boxes for the two platoons that I have with me in Al Kut? It's a great idea, and I would love to be able to do for the kids in the cities around us that my other platoon does down south. If this is possible, please let me know! We have more than 80 Soldiers that go out on mission daily, operating primarily in two cities and various villages. Again, thank you for the support that you've provided to my Soldiers, and I think that your program is wonderful."

Respectfully,

Eric Wigley
CPT, MP
__________________________________
__________________________________

Join The Fill A Box Campaign!
Have just a few items to donate. Please send a card with your items and mail them to the address below and when a box is filled they will be mailed for you. We ask for the card or note, so we can let the soldiers know who is supporting them.

View topic - Information For Mailing Winter Clothing!

_______________________________________

We invite you to visit our FORUMS and register for membership, read all the news and post your comments and questions.

Check for:
Buy Beanies for $2.00 each and shipped for you FREE!

New Campaign for Fall of 2008

Latest Updates

___________________________________
___________________________________

PFC McKinney of Camp Echo.

SGT Mulford with happy friends in Ghammas and Shinafiyah, which are south of Diwaniyah.

Click on IGive above and help support our cause
.

Children from the town of Debeide Debeildeh, Kosovo after a Medcap.
_________________________________________

Beanies for Baghdad helps Silver Star Families of America in Germany � Silver Star Day May 1, 2008 at Landstuhl

DefenseLink News Article: America Supports You: Beanies Help Win Hearts, Minds

_________________________________________

SFC Trayton Crow greeted by many little hands.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

SSG CAPPONI and new friends.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

Children from the community of Hussein, which is located in northern Diwaniyah.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

And around this door a "Beanie Baby"?
__________________________________________

null

Our Fallen Heroes We Shall Never Forget.

_______________________________

Beanies for Baghdad is a registered non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the 501 (c) (3) laws.
All donations are used exclusively for the benefit of Beanies for Baghdad.

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:54:01 +0000

http://dwiproductions.com/beaniesforbagdad.wmv-Beanies for Baghdad From The Beginning

Beanie Babies Help Our Troops Make A Difference!! @ Yahoo! Video

Beanies For Baghdad thru the years @ Yahoo! Video

Happy Faces of Beanie Distribution in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo! @ Yahoo! Video