PEPSI COLA GRANT UPDATE

PEPSI COLA GRANT UPDATE and other latest updates:

1. OCW and Pepsi Grant Competition
        Operation Comfort Warriors has been named the Number 1 Finalist for $250,000 in the Pepsi Refresh  Everything grant contest. Pepsi is expected to name OCW as a grant recipient on March 22 after the  paperwork is certified. If certified, OCW will receive $125,000 in late March, and another $125,000 in the  middle of September.

2. Operation Comfort Warriors
             Operation Comfort Warriors has raised $317,454.87 (not including the Pepsi grant) since its inception.

3. “A Pledge to Service” Video
      In conjunction with its debut Tuesday at the Washington Conference, more than 1,500 DVDs have  been distributed including 535 sent to the Legislative Commission staff for distribution to  Congress.  Requests arriving daily with immediate fulfillment.

4. GI Film Festival
      As a result of the Wednesday presentation of your National Commander’s Public Relations Award  to the festival, 80 wounded warriors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center have been invited to  attend the events in May.  Additionally, Washington Times Columnist John Fales (Sgt. Shaft), a  previous recipient of the award himself,  contributed $1,000 on behalf of blinded veterans to help  support the festival.

PEPSI COLA GRANT

Four days remain for OCW voting

  The American Legion is calling on fellow Americans to spend a few moments every day between now and Feb. 28 to help our wounded service men and women.

The Legion's Operation Comfort Warriors is competing for a $250,000 grant to be awarded by Pepsi Cola, Inc, as part of its Refresh Everything campaign. There are 729 charities competing for grants ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 which are determined by the number of votes received at Pepsi's Refresh Everything Web site. Operation Comfort Warriors is currently in second place. The two charities with the most votes in the $250,000 category will receive the grants.


Visitors can cast their votes every day between now and Feb. 28 by clicking here.


Since December 2008, The American Legion family has raised funds for Operation Comfort Warriors, a program dedicated to meeting the needs of wounded military personnel, providing them with comfort items not usually supplied by the government. OCW ensures that patients at U.S. military hospitals and warrior transition units are given items like sweat suits, DVDs, puzzles, electronic devices, books, calling cards and more. All overhead and administrative costs for the program are paid by The American Legion, meaning 100 percent of donated money goes directly to the troops.


Pepsi will announce the winners on March 1.

 

OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

OCW Falls to #2 in Pepsi voting

After capturing the #1 spot in its bid to win a $250,000 grant in the Pepsi Refresh Project competition on Friday afternoon, The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors fell to #2 early today.

Pepsi Cola, Inc. is awarding $1.3 million each month to charities receiving the most votes on their Web site.  In the $250, 000 category, the top two charities receiving the most votes will both receive $250,000 and will be named March 1. It is essential that members of The American Legion family vote every day throughout the month of February. It is also important for supporters to spread the word to friends via social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other popular sites. E-mails and phone calls can also make a big difference.

Rules allow the public to vote each day per e-mail address during February.  The American Legion OCW page can be found at: http://www.refresheverything.com/operationcomfortwarriors.  Or, it can be accessed via The American Legion national Web site at www.legion.org and clicking on the “Vote Daily” icon on the right side of the page.

Please vote every day and spread the word.

OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

Pepsi Refresh Project - Good Luck!

Legion Family,

The American Legion family has raised more than $300,000 to purchase comfort items for U.S. troops recovering in hospitals and warrior transition units around the globe. Now we have the opportunity to nearly double what was raised. Pepsi Cola is offering a $250,000 grant to the top two charities (based on votes) as part of its  Pepsi Refresh project. There are 729 charities competing and as of Feb. 1, Operation Comfort Warriors is 21st  in votes.

All overhead and administrative costs for Operation Comfort Warriors is paid for by The American Legion, meaning 100 percent of donations go toward helping the troops. If OCW were to receive the Pepsi grant, that money would also go entirely to the troops. Please go to http://refresheverything.com/operationcomfortwarriors and vote.

Just as importantly, use your post and department newspapers, facebook pages, web sites, twitter and all other tools at your disposal to encourage others to vote for this great cause.

The refresheverything grant can make a difference in the lives of hundreds of our disabled troops.

If you have any questions about OCW, please feel free to call Communications Director John Raughter at (317)630-1350 of visit http://legion.org/troops/operationcomfort.

Thank you for your support,
Dan Wheeler
National Adjutant