thedrifter
10-22-08, 05:45 AM
Residents keep rallying for Operation Sunscreen
BY AMY ROSEN Staff Writer
Anumber of people in the area have brought a ray of sunshine, and quite a bit of sun protection, into the lives of American troops stationed in Iraq.
In July, Greater Media Newspapers reported on a woman in Jackson who was spearheading an effort in her community to provide U.S. Marines stationed in Iraq with sunscreen to help protect their skin from the dangerous effects of the 100-degree weather they face on a daily basis.
Linda Leonard-Thompson, an independent senior sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics, initiated the Operation Sunscreen - Adopt A Marine program in her community. She sought donations to be used to purchase sunscreen from Mary Kay Cosmetics to be sent to U.S. Marines in Iraq.
For a donation of about $35, each soldier received two sets of each of the following: SPF-30 sunscreen, after-sun replenishing gel (for burns and dry skin) and lip protector that contains an SPF-15 sunscreen. One hundred percent of the donations were, and continue to be, used to purchase products for the troops.
While the Mary Kay corporation encourages its consultants to give back to the community, all consultants who choose to initiate fundraising efforts for any cause do so on their own. Leonard-Thompson chose the Marines initially because her stepson, Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Thompson, is a Marine who has been stationed in Iraq since March.
Leonard-Thompson said that in a recent conversation with her stepson, he told her the Marines had received the packages and used every bit of the sunscreen. He said they especially appreciated the after-sun replenisher because the sun and heat is so intense in Iraq that it was a welcome relief.
Leonard-Thompson hopes that contributions to this cause will keep coming in so she can send sunscreen protection to soldiers throughout the region. Her efforts so far are working out favorably.
"Every week consultants hand me boxes of sunscreen sets from people who have adopted a Marine," Leonard-Thompson said. "It is truly a paycheck of the heart for us to be able to give products we have access to and not make a profit on this at all.
"Just this weekend one consultant dropped off 50 sets," she continued. "Tonight another consultant gave me several. There is not a week that goes by that a consultant doesn't give me sets or boxes of sets to ship to Iraq."
Leonard-Thompson estimates that more than 400 sets of sunscreen have been shipped to Iraq since July. She said many people responded after reading about Operation Sunscreen-Adopt a Soldier in Greater Media Newspapers, and she is amazed at how many total strangers want to help.
People may choose to send a letter to a soldier along with the sunscreen, if they wish.
"My husband, Ray, and I are in awe and so grateful and thankful to all that have chosen to help this cause," Leonard-Thompson said. "I have received so many calls and emails; everyone is so nice. They thanked me for doing this, when without their help we couldn't do it. Most of them wouldn't take the gift card I offered to anyone who donated, and instead asked me to put it into more sunscreen products for the Marines. One woman sent me a check for $100. A Girl Scout troop leader contacted me and wanted to know if this could be a project for her troop. I even got an e-mail from a doctor in California who wanted to start something like this out there."
One of the people who read about Operation Sunscreen was Barbara Fisk of Manalapan. Fisk read the article to her daughter, Susie, 6, who attends first grade at Taylor Mills School in Manalapan.
"We found out about Operation Sunscreen when we read the article in the News Transcript. I read it to Susie and she wanted to see if we could raise some money for this cause. We sent e-mails to our friends and family and raised some money. Susie will be receiving a star in her karate class for her efforts. We are hoping to raise more money for this cause and we are trying to come up with something we can do for the soldiers for the holidays," Fisk said.
Ray Thompson helps out with the project by bringing the boxes of sunscreen to the Toms River Armory, where it gets shipped to the troops. Three more big boxes were just shipped last week.
"Some boxes went directly to Timmy's unit. The armory is very familiar now with our Operation Sunscreen and told us they would like to open the boxes and randomly distribute them to all branches of the service fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, etc. — which we thought was a great idea," Leonard-Thompson said.
On Thompson's last trip to the armory a soldier who had received one of the packages while serving in Iraq, and who just happened to be at the armory, personally thanked him.
Seeing how much the sunscreen is appreciated by the soldiers has spurred other people to join the effort.
Karen Colegary, a Mary Kay independent senior sales director in Freehold, has enlisted the aid of the Freehold Rotary Club to assist the community with Operation Sunscreen.
"I decided to work on the project with Linda due to the need for sunscreen kits for our soldiers," Colegary said. "I wanted someone to sponsor me and help me reach businesses. I saw a flier for the Rotary Club and contacted Jody Gilpin of Freehold Tire Center. Jody was very enthusiastic to help this cause for our troops. I appreciate all of the Rotary Club's support."
The Rotary Club is collecting and soliciting donations. Jack Marin, the Freehold Rotary Club's treasurer, is keeping track of the donations.
Colegary said, "Father Ed Jawidzik from my church, St. Robert Bellarmine in Freehold Township, allowed me to put it in our bulletin and to collect donations after Mass one weekend. People were very generous and many thanked me. It was so nice hearing about their family members who have served or are now serving our country. Jack Marin received several donations from a young boy by the name of Sean Powell, who goes to my church. He saw it in the bulletin and wanted to help. Sean, who is 11 years old, has personally helped 20 soldiers get sunscreen kits."
Sean's mother, Susan, said she and her husband, Thomas, are very proud of their son.
"Sean's goal is to be in the military," Powell said. "He's always willing to help, that's his nature. When people are in trouble he helps. When our neighbor next door shovels snow, Sean goes over to help. After Hurricane Katrina, he set up a lemonade stand to raise money for the victims."
Colegary said other children have also stepped up to help.
"The youth group from our church has decided to make this a project of theirs," she explained. "After all of the Masses in October, they will be in the lobby of our church collecting for this cause.
"I started working on this project in August and my first order just went in, and I'm proud to say that 94 soldiers will soon receive three-piece sunscreen kits. There are thousands of soldiers there who need our help, and this project will be ongoing for us until we run out of businesses and contacts," she said.
One of Colegary's clients, Susan Mattei of Jackson, has a son, Sgt. Douglas Mattei, who was just deployed to Iraq. Colegary said she promised Mattei that the next shipment will go out to her son's troop.
Donations may be made out to and mailed to the Freehold Rotary Club, P.O. Box. 3, Freehold, NJ 07728, attention Jack Marin. For more information, call 732-462-0565.
Contact Amy Rosen at arosen@gmnews.com
Ellie
BY AMY ROSEN Staff Writer
Anumber of people in the area have brought a ray of sunshine, and quite a bit of sun protection, into the lives of American troops stationed in Iraq.
In July, Greater Media Newspapers reported on a woman in Jackson who was spearheading an effort in her community to provide U.S. Marines stationed in Iraq with sunscreen to help protect their skin from the dangerous effects of the 100-degree weather they face on a daily basis.
Linda Leonard-Thompson, an independent senior sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics, initiated the Operation Sunscreen - Adopt A Marine program in her community. She sought donations to be used to purchase sunscreen from Mary Kay Cosmetics to be sent to U.S. Marines in Iraq.
For a donation of about $35, each soldier received two sets of each of the following: SPF-30 sunscreen, after-sun replenishing gel (for burns and dry skin) and lip protector that contains an SPF-15 sunscreen. One hundred percent of the donations were, and continue to be, used to purchase products for the troops.
While the Mary Kay corporation encourages its consultants to give back to the community, all consultants who choose to initiate fundraising efforts for any cause do so on their own. Leonard-Thompson chose the Marines initially because her stepson, Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Thompson, is a Marine who has been stationed in Iraq since March.
Leonard-Thompson said that in a recent conversation with her stepson, he told her the Marines had received the packages and used every bit of the sunscreen. He said they especially appreciated the after-sun replenisher because the sun and heat is so intense in Iraq that it was a welcome relief.
Leonard-Thompson hopes that contributions to this cause will keep coming in so she can send sunscreen protection to soldiers throughout the region. Her efforts so far are working out favorably.
"Every week consultants hand me boxes of sunscreen sets from people who have adopted a Marine," Leonard-Thompson said. "It is truly a paycheck of the heart for us to be able to give products we have access to and not make a profit on this at all.
"Just this weekend one consultant dropped off 50 sets," she continued. "Tonight another consultant gave me several. There is not a week that goes by that a consultant doesn't give me sets or boxes of sets to ship to Iraq."
Leonard-Thompson estimates that more than 400 sets of sunscreen have been shipped to Iraq since July. She said many people responded after reading about Operation Sunscreen-Adopt a Soldier in Greater Media Newspapers, and she is amazed at how many total strangers want to help.
People may choose to send a letter to a soldier along with the sunscreen, if they wish.
"My husband, Ray, and I are in awe and so grateful and thankful to all that have chosen to help this cause," Leonard-Thompson said. "I have received so many calls and emails; everyone is so nice. They thanked me for doing this, when without their help we couldn't do it. Most of them wouldn't take the gift card I offered to anyone who donated, and instead asked me to put it into more sunscreen products for the Marines. One woman sent me a check for $100. A Girl Scout troop leader contacted me and wanted to know if this could be a project for her troop. I even got an e-mail from a doctor in California who wanted to start something like this out there."
One of the people who read about Operation Sunscreen was Barbara Fisk of Manalapan. Fisk read the article to her daughter, Susie, 6, who attends first grade at Taylor Mills School in Manalapan.
"We found out about Operation Sunscreen when we read the article in the News Transcript. I read it to Susie and she wanted to see if we could raise some money for this cause. We sent e-mails to our friends and family and raised some money. Susie will be receiving a star in her karate class for her efforts. We are hoping to raise more money for this cause and we are trying to come up with something we can do for the soldiers for the holidays," Fisk said.
Ray Thompson helps out with the project by bringing the boxes of sunscreen to the Toms River Armory, where it gets shipped to the troops. Three more big boxes were just shipped last week.
"Some boxes went directly to Timmy's unit. The armory is very familiar now with our Operation Sunscreen and told us they would like to open the boxes and randomly distribute them to all branches of the service fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, etc. — which we thought was a great idea," Leonard-Thompson said.
On Thompson's last trip to the armory a soldier who had received one of the packages while serving in Iraq, and who just happened to be at the armory, personally thanked him.
Seeing how much the sunscreen is appreciated by the soldiers has spurred other people to join the effort.
Karen Colegary, a Mary Kay independent senior sales director in Freehold, has enlisted the aid of the Freehold Rotary Club to assist the community with Operation Sunscreen.
"I decided to work on the project with Linda due to the need for sunscreen kits for our soldiers," Colegary said. "I wanted someone to sponsor me and help me reach businesses. I saw a flier for the Rotary Club and contacted Jody Gilpin of Freehold Tire Center. Jody was very enthusiastic to help this cause for our troops. I appreciate all of the Rotary Club's support."
The Rotary Club is collecting and soliciting donations. Jack Marin, the Freehold Rotary Club's treasurer, is keeping track of the donations.
Colegary said, "Father Ed Jawidzik from my church, St. Robert Bellarmine in Freehold Township, allowed me to put it in our bulletin and to collect donations after Mass one weekend. People were very generous and many thanked me. It was so nice hearing about their family members who have served or are now serving our country. Jack Marin received several donations from a young boy by the name of Sean Powell, who goes to my church. He saw it in the bulletin and wanted to help. Sean, who is 11 years old, has personally helped 20 soldiers get sunscreen kits."
Sean's mother, Susan, said she and her husband, Thomas, are very proud of their son.
"Sean's goal is to be in the military," Powell said. "He's always willing to help, that's his nature. When people are in trouble he helps. When our neighbor next door shovels snow, Sean goes over to help. After Hurricane Katrina, he set up a lemonade stand to raise money for the victims."
Colegary said other children have also stepped up to help.
"The youth group from our church has decided to make this a project of theirs," she explained. "After all of the Masses in October, they will be in the lobby of our church collecting for this cause.
"I started working on this project in August and my first order just went in, and I'm proud to say that 94 soldiers will soon receive three-piece sunscreen kits. There are thousands of soldiers there who need our help, and this project will be ongoing for us until we run out of businesses and contacts," she said.
One of Colegary's clients, Susan Mattei of Jackson, has a son, Sgt. Douglas Mattei, who was just deployed to Iraq. Colegary said she promised Mattei that the next shipment will go out to her son's troop.
Donations may be made out to and mailed to the Freehold Rotary Club, P.O. Box. 3, Freehold, NJ 07728, attention Jack Marin. For more information, call 732-462-0565.
Contact Amy Rosen at arosen@gmnews.com
Ellie