Press Release - Tuesday, January 30, 2007
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'85 CHAMPIONSHIP CHICAGO BEARS URGE STUDENTS TO REMEMBER OUR NATION'S HEROES THIS VALENTINE'S DAY 40 third- and sixth-graders wearing red t-shirts display their homemade valentines!!
(CHICAGO) - Today, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn joined with Jim McMahon and Dennis McKinnon of the '85 Championship Chicago Bears to encourage school children across the state to create and send valentines to hospitalized veterans and soldiers serving overseas.
Marine Gunnery SGT Brian Schiller of Chicago - who just returned from his second tour of duty in Iraq - was also in attendance.
"This is an excellent opportunity for all of us to let our veterans and soldiers overseas know that here in the Land of Lincoln, we appreciate their brave efforts, are thinking of them, and that we care," Quinn said. "Let's show our appreciation by sending hospitalized veterans and service men and women a card or a letter letting them know they are in our thoughts this Valentine's Day."
Quinn was joined by 40 students - third-graders from Central Elementary School in Wilmette and sixth-graders from Chicago International Charter School (CICS) Bucktown Campus - who displayed their homemade valentines.
Debi Rickert, a military mom from Naperville who started Operation Support Our Troops Illinois, was also on hand to explain how people may send their valentines. This is the third year Operation Support Our Troops Illinois will forward valentines to the troops. Also, Operation Support Our Troops Illinois regularly sends care packages to troops serving overseas and to date, has sent more than 10,000 packages.
Valentines for Vets was started by the late columnist Ann Landers who asked her readers to send valentines to veterans in VA hospitals to show they were not forgotten.
Currently 4,700 Illinois National Guardsmen and reservists are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, Illinois is home to 36 veteran hospitals, including seven hospitals located in Chicago. For more information on ways to help those who serve and for a detailed list of all the veterans hospitals in Illinois, visit www.OperationHomefront.org. With more than 19 million hits, it's one of the country's most informative websites on supporting our troops.
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