We admit it: we're constantly calling up the Coast Guard or checking out their various websites for news and information on the Bay. They're both a great resource and an excellent safeguard when things get real, so to speak.
The Coast Guard Foundation has a great idea for giving back to the Coast Guard: iTunes and Amazon gift cards. This is a great idea, too, since although my homemade blackberry jam is approaching celebrity cult status, I really doubt it makes a good gift for the guys who do stuff like this (see below) on a regular basis. Might as well let them pick out their own gift. For all the details, see below.
The full press release:
The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of Coast Guard members and their families, announced today it is seeking donations of iTunes and Amazon gift cards to distribute to Coast Guard units across the country. The gift cards will be given to a Coast Guard member or unit to download music, videos and books for iPods and Kindles provided by the Foundation for their use on long deployments.
“The men and women of the Coast Guard work tirelessly to protect our shores; knowing that Americans are grateful for their service is a wonderful gesture,” said Coast Guard Foundation President Anne B. Brengle. “These gift cards are a small token of appreciation for all that the heroes of the Coast Guard do for all of us.”
For more than 40 years, the Coast Guard Foundation has been inspiring leadership, learning and a proud legacy of service. So far in 2013, the Foundation has raised $550,000 for college scholarships for the children of enlisted personnel, which is more than double the amount it raised the previous year. The Foundation is also building a $350,000 community center in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan – a project that will provide Coast Guard families a safe place to build a community. These are just two small examples of the ways the Foundation supports the men and women who wear the Coast Guard uniform.
Donated gift cards may be sent to: Coast Guard Foundation, 394 Taugwonk Road, Stonington, CT 06378. To learn more about the iTunes and Amazon gift card program or about the Coast Guard Foundation and its work, please visit the Coast Guard Foundation website at coastguardfoundation.org.
