Governor Rell: ‘Home for the Holidays’

Initiative Makes Final Push

Effort to Bring Troops Back to Connecticut for Holiday Break

Has Raised Over $130,000

            Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that her special fund-raising effort to help about 700 Connecticut National Guard troops stationed at out-of-state bases spend the Christmas and New Year’s holidays at home with their families has entered the home stretch, with more than $130,000 raised to date.

 The Governor launched  “Operation Home for the Holidays,” to raise  $200,000 with help from citizens and businesses to charter buses to transport the Connecticut troops home during a break in their training before they are ultimately deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan for a year. It is the largest deployment of Connecticut troops since the Korean War. The troops are currently assigned to mobilization stations in Indiana and Wisconsin.

            “The holidays are a particularly difficult and anxious time for families to be separated,” Governor Rell said. “This year there may be an even higher level of anxiety because by the time the holidays arrive, we will have about 1,200 troops from Connecticut deployed or preparing to be deployed – a record number.

“We are nearing our goal of $200,000. We would like to raise the remaining $70,000 by the end of the first week of December.  The people of Connecticut have always answered the call to help our military families, and I have no doubt that we can accomplish this.  No donation is too small,” the Governor said.

            Among those troops will be about 700 members of two units – the 1st Battalion of the 102nd Infantry Regiment and the 250th Engineering Company. The members of those units will be at “mobilization stations” in Indiana and Wisconsin, respectively, where they will be completing preparations for deploying to Afghanistan.

            Both units are slated to have winter holiday breaks – from December 23 through January 2 in the case of the 1/102nd and December 22-January 2 in the case of the 250th Engineers.

            The $200,000 will cover the rental and round-trip expenses for 10 buses to and from Indiana and three buses to and from Wisconsin, the Governor said, as well as providing entertainment options such as movies and meals for troops who cannot make the trip home or have no family in Connecticut.

            Donations for “Operation Home for the Holidays” should be sent to the Connecticut National Guard Foundation Inc. The Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, established in April 2003 to provide emergency financial assistance for Guard members and their families. All donations are fully tax-deductible.

                Donations can be sent to:

Connecticut National Guard Foundation, Inc.

360 Broad Street

Hartford, Connecticut 06105-3706

            Checks should be made payable to “CTNGFI.”

            Credit card donations are also accepted. Please contact the Operation ELF Hot Line at 860-524-4924 or the Family Program Office at 1-800-858-2677 for a credit card donation form.

            Donations for the purchase of a gift card are also accepted. Check should be made payable to Family Program Special Projects and sent to the above address.

            The name of the family is never revealed to the adopting person or organization. Rather, a summary of the family’s demographics and wish list are provided. Gifts are delivered by that family’s case worker along with the name of the donor, if so desired. Donors interested in supporting a family in this category or anyone knowing of a military family that could benefit from adoption should contact the Operation E.L.F. Hot Line at 860-524-4924 or the Family Program Office at 1-800-858-2677.

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