Don’t sew, but want to support our Service Men and Women?
You will find, as I did, that people are eager and willing to do something to support our soldiers. Here’s a list of other activities that anyone can do:
2 minutes- copy and paste your address book into the field on my website www.thegatorproject.org. Everyone you know will then know about the Project, and will want to help.Â
5 minutes – contact a business in your area to see if they would be a drop off point for finished (and/or purchased) gators. Ask if they would be willing to mail the gators, PRIORITY MAIL, as well.
5 minutes – copy and send the press release and link to the website to everyone in your email address book. (include the drop off points in the email)
5 minutes – copy and email as a press release to your local newspaper, TV and radio stations. (Include the drop off points you have secured here, too!)
5 minutes – call local companies to donate strong packing boxes and tape.
10 minutes- call on a local business to ask if they’d make a donation for postage or fleece for the Gator Project.
10 minutes- ask your place of business if they’d do a quick fundraiser. A restaurant allowed waitstaff to wear jeans for the day if they donated $5.00. They also offered “Red, White, Blue Specials� on the menu – red snapper, blue margaritas, white chocolate mousse�, with a donation for each special ordered. A plumbing company offered $25.00 for each boiler sold.
10 minutes – see if your local fabric store would be willing to offer fleece at a discount for this purpose.
30 minutes – enlist a friend who sews – offer to purchase and cut the fleece if they will do the stitching. Offer to produce small insert cards or notes, including your city/state/email, to insert into the gators. The soldiers will like knowing where and who they came from. Offer to pack and mail them, too.
30 minutes – call your local National Guard, Veterans Organization, etc. to introduce them to the project. Ask for “General Delivery� advice for getting gators directly to your area’s soldiers. Ask if there are any events for deployed soldiers’ families coming up that you could attend and promote the project.
30 minutes – contact social and service clubs – gardening, quilting, PTA, Scouts, Elks, Moose, Rotary, etc., about doing a quick presentation at a meeting. You can simply read the press release and show a gator. I have done this – it’s easy, and it works!!! Literally NO ONE has said no!!!
Do you have a little more time, and would like to volunteer as a Coordinator for your area? Email me, and I’ll call you to discuss it.
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January 13, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Hi Mary,
Just wanted to have you remind everyone that I do offer a 10% code that never expires on my site towards fleece that is purchased to make gators. People just need to enter coupon code “GATOR” when checking out to get the savings.
Also, if you have enough donations to purchase a roll of fleece (60 yds). I can offer it to you for $2.20 per yard plus shipping! Wish I could do more, but hopefully that will help! THANKS!