Press Releases

November 2007 OMAD Bloomington 1312 S. Palmer Ave. Bloomington, Indiana 47401 Phone: 812-339-5618 http://www.omadbloomington.com E-mail: jennifer.lynne.tracy@us.army.mil                                                  Operation Military Appreciation Day (OMAD) Nears Sponsors Wanted Operation Military Appreciation Day (OMAD) is a day set aside to honor our military and their families.  This is a one day event however behind the scenes are women and men working all year long to make this event special and successful.  This is the second year for OMAD.  Last year Monroe County was honored. This year we are extending the invitation to include Owen and Lawrence Counties as they too have military personnel being task with OEF/OIF (Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom).   We are a non-profit organization and we are asking businesses in the tri-county area to become special sponsors called a “Roudebush Donor”.  Special sponsors will be offered booth space at the event, and those donating $200 will be providing $100.00 gas card to the Roudebush VA Medical Center, for gas expenditures for families and patients to travel back and forth to appointments. The remaining $100.00 will go in the general fund for disbursement as needed.  “Roudebush Donors” will also be listed on a special banner at the event.  To donate, please visit our website and fill out the sponsorship form as a BRONZE STAR DONOR and write next to your name “Roudebush Donor.”   Not only do we support our troops, we have adopted Roudebush VA Medical Center as one of our philanthropic causes. All monies exceeding cost of Operation Military Appreciation Day will be donated to the fund at Roudebush OEF/OIF, Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom and the 2-150 FA HHSB Family Readiness Group. In early 2008, 3,500 Indiana Army National Guard soldiers will be departing for deployment, further necessitating essential funds to support the troops and their families.   The OEF/OIF has a team of professionals that treat our returning soldiers and the family as a whole if needed.  They prepare the family for the return of the service member, advice on what to expect, and offer suggestions to help the service member's transition back into the civilian life.  This war takes it toll on our military families mentally, spiritually and financially and we need to be doing all we can to help. The OEF/OIF fund will help pay a service member’s mortgage or other necessary bills during times of hardship. Payments are made directly to the debtor.  In 2009, Roudebush will be able to apply for a Fishers House and we want to continue our efforts to support this upcoming addition to Indiana.  A Fishers House is a house built on the military hospital grounds where the family can stay at little or no cost to be close to their loved ones when extended treatment and rehabilitation is required.     Join us November 11th, Veteran’s Day. Mark your calendars and be at the Monroe County Fairgrounds from 1:30-6:00pm.  To become a sponsor or for more information about the event, visit our website http://www.omadbloomington.com.   Terri Lynn Languell OMAD, Philanthropic Director

Wednesday, September 26, 2007                                                                                            Steering Committee Names Honorary Chairperson                                                                                           State Representative Peggy Welch has been named Operation Military Appreciation Day's (OMAD) Honorary Chairperson.      Operation                      Military Appreciation Day (OMAD) is a day to honor, celebrate and recognize our Military and Veterans and their families for their service. This day will include ceremonies, awards, children's activities such as Carnival and a walk. The Warriors Walk is a way to take steps toward a deeper awareness of our Military and to march together as a community in sup- port of their work. The event is scheduled for November 11, 2007 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Bloomington, Indiana.     The purpose of the Honorary Chairperson is to recognize and honor a person's achievements which are related to both Monroe County and the military communi- ty. Welch's legislative experience and commitment to her communi- ty will serve this event well.     "During my nine years as a leg- islator, I have had the privilege of meeting and working with count- less individuals who are patriots. These are men and women who served or are currently serving our country with honor and dignity. Our military, especially our National Guard service personnel, preform a dual mission of partici- pating in America's military con- flicts and assisting in disaster recovery and protection of our communities. These military per- sonnel are constantly challenged in their choices whether it is on the battlefield, the classroom or at home. They learn to balance their different roles, while contributing much to our communities--know- ing that at any time they could be called upon to leave their families and enter life-threatening situa- tions. Despite the challenges of their duty, our service men and women are committed to carrying out their assigned mission. And for this, these men and women should be recognized, honored and thanked.       It is my great honor and privi- lege to be associated with the 2007         Operation Military Appreciation Day and this important opportuni- ty for recognizing our military efforts, both past and present," Ms. Welch continued.      OMAD Coordinator, Jenny Tracy said she is looking forward to working with Ms. Welch in this leadership position. "I know her commitment to supporting our service members. When working on the Community Welcome Home Event which took place in January 2007, I saw her passion for those that serve and their families. I remember when she spoke at Edgewood High School addressing the 150+ soldiers of the 2nd Battalion 150th Field Artillery, after their return from Iraq and it gave me goose bumps. She spoke from the heart and her message was loud and clear: she, our Community and our Government supported our service members and it was our turn (the communi- ty's and hers) to make sure that they were repaid for their sacri- fices."     Welch's role will be a tremen- dous asset to OMAD in its out- reach activities to the community, its drive to further partnerships with businesses and Veteran and Military groups, and its efforts to honor those that have sacrificed so much for their country and state.

October 2007 OMAD Bloomington 1312 S. Palmer Ave. Bloomington, Indiana 47401 Phone: 812-339-5618 http://www.omadbloomington.com E-mail: jennifer.lynne.tracy@us.army.mil                                                   Operation Military Appreciation Day (OMAD) Nears Operation Military Appreciation Day (OMAD) is a day to honor, celebrate and recognize our Military and Veterans and their families for their service. This day will include an awards ceremony, for which families can register their loved ones for recognition. The Warriors Walk is a way to take steps toward a deeper awareness of our Military, and to march together as a community in support of their work. The OMAD event is scheduled for November 11, 2007 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Bloomington, Indiana. The event will run from 1:30pm to 6:00pm, with the awards ceremony beginning at 4:00pm. The day's festivities will include the ceremonies mentioned above as well as several other exciting & fun events including a benefit auction (live auction including a Colts Peyton Manning autographed item, travel vouchers, jewelry and more), vendor booths and a children's carnival. The National Guard will be displaying their XM Mobile Display and the Army will be operating their Rock Climbing Wall; there will be performances by the Bloomington North Choir and special appearances by Rep. Peggy Welch (2007 OMAD Honorary Chairperson), the Monroe County Fair Queen and other distinguished guests. Information and registration forms for the awards ceremony can be found at www.omadbloomington.com and must be returned by October 29, 2007, registration is free. All proceeds will benefit Roudebush Veteran's Hospital, the 2nd Battalion 150th Field Artillery HHSB Family Readiness Group, which sends packages to deployed soldiers overseas and supports their family members during their deployment and next year's OMAD event day.

H-T Report October 25, 2007 Welch named honorary chair of military event   State Representative Peggy Welch has been named Operation Military Appreciations Day's honorary chairwoman. Operation Military Appreciation Day is a day to honor, celebrate and recognize military and veterans and their families for their service. The event will include ceremonies, awards, children's activities such as a carnival and the "Warriors Walk". The event will be Nov. 11 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. The purpose of the honorary chairperson is to recognize ans honor a person's achievements related to both Monroe County and the military community. For more info, see www.omadbloomington.com.

HeraldTimesOnline.com For Veterans Help honor our military and their families  by Larry Catt                           Monroe County Veterans Service Officer, 349-2568 June 23, 2007 On the Web                                                                                                                            http://www.omadbloomington.com On June 14, I was privileged to attend the kickoff meeting for Operation Military Appreciation Day, or OMAD as it is often called. State Rep. Peggy Welch is the honorary chairwoman. She spoke about what a fine opportunity OMAD provides for the community to show support for those in the military who have served, or are serving their country. Also, it is a fitting opportunity to show appreciation for the families of these men and women. I obtained the information used in this article from the fliers put out about Operation Military Appreciation Day. You can find more about this event at www.omadbloomington.com, including details on becoming a sponsor or volunteer. However, for those not inclined to go to the website, the following information will give you a taste of what the day has to offer. I want to bring this day to your attention now because there are still opportunities for volunteers and sponsors. Please mark your calendars for Nov. 11 and plan to be at the Monroe County Fairgrounds to honor our military veterans and their families. There will be plenty of fun activities for young folks and other activities for the whole family. Thanks to the generous donations from the sponsors, there will not be an admission charge to attend OMAD. There will be ceremonies honoring our military and retirement of the colors. Among the other scheduled events is the Warriors Walk. There are no fees to participate, thanks again to donations from sponsors. The whole family can participate. Best of all, the first 200 walkers will receive free T-shirts. There also will be carnival events and prizes will be awarded. A performance by the Bloomington Brass Band, a fly-over and an auction will round out the day’s activities. There are three levels of sponsorship, beginning with a $100 donation for a Bronze Star Sponsor and ending with the Gold Star Sponsorship for donations of $250 and up. For a donation of $100 to $149, the sponsor will be named in the program and have booth space in the vendor hall. Silver Star donations of $150 to $249 will allow sponsors to have the same benefits as a Bronze Star sponsor plus the sponsor’s name will appear on the back of the Warrior Walk T-shirt. Finally, Gold Star sponsors will get the same as the Silver Star sponsor plus their name will appear in any and all advertising. Information and application forms for volunteers and sponsors can be found on the web site. The OMAD Chairperson is Jenny Tracy and she will accept your donation and sponsor form, which you can download from the website. The website provides the address to mail donations. All funds in excess of expenses will go to Roudebush VA Medical Center and the local Indiana Army National Guard Family Readiness Group.

Military groups hosting fundraiser at the armory Thursday night Flag Day event kicks off donations for Operation Military Appreciation Day planned for November By Bethany Nolan 331-4373                                                                       bnolan@heraldt.com June 12, 2007   On Flag Day, local military groups will host a kick-off event for Operation Military Appreciation Day that’s planned for this fall. The event will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Bloomington Armory, 3380 S. Old Ind. 37, and will include guest speakers Maj. Kirk White, state Rep. Peggy Welch and AMVETS Post 2000 chairwoman Michele Crohn. Event coordinator Nancy Hafer said Thursday’s event will kick off a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit organization that hosts Operation Military Appreciation Day, a local affair in November that honors local members of the military and includes a walk, a children’s carnival and awards. The group is seeking corporate sponsorships for the appreciation day, she said. There are three levels of sponsorships — bronze for $100 to $150 in donations, silver for $150 to $250 in donations and gold for $250 or more. Funds raised will go toward expenses for the fall event, and any additional money will be donated to the Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis and to the local Family Readiness Group for the 2nd Battalion, 150th Field Artillery unit of the Indiana National Guard, Hafer said. Members of the Bloomington-based unit went to Iraq recently, returning home in December. She said the organization hasn’t set a fundraising goal, but is aiming instead for “as much as possible.” Last year, about 200 people attended the event and Hafer said she hopes the early kick-off and fundraising campaign will help raise awareness in the community about local members of the military. “They need support,” Hafer said. “They need to know Bloomington is here for them.” To donate or for more about Operation Military Appreciation Day, see www.omadbloomington.com.

November 11, 2007 Steering Committee Names Honorary Chairperson Peggy Welch has been named Operation Military Appreciation Day's (OMAD) Honorary Chairperson.  Operation Military Appreciation Day (OMAD) is a day to honor, celebrate, and recognize our Military and Veterans and their families for their service.  This day will include ceremonies, awards, children's activities such as Carnival, and a walk. The Warriors Walk is a way to take steps toward a deeper awareness of our Military, and to march together as a community in support of their work. The purpose of the Honorary Chairperson is to recognize and honor a person's achievements which are related to both Monroe County and the military community.

© 2007 Mr. Whitehall