Kansans give thousands to bring troops home for Christmas

Posted by Kansas RealEstateRama

December 10, 2007

Governor encouraged with generosity of Kansans and Kansas-based companies

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius announced today, Friday, Dec. 7, more than $135,000 in cash donations have been raised over the past week to bring approximately 430 Kansas National Guard troops home for Christmas. An additional $14,000 was raised from in-kind contributions. The funds were donated primarily to the Kansas National Guard Foundation and also to the 161st Field Artillery Regimental Association.

The 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery is training in Fort Bliss, Texas, for a late winter deployment to Iraq, and many Guardsmen don’t have the funds to get home for Christmas. Department of Defense regulations prevent the Kansas National Guard from paying for military travel during leave.

“We have been overwhelmed by the generous response we have received from all over the state, including a donation from the mother of Pfc. Jeremy Drexler, an active duty Army soldier, who made it home for Christmas in December 2003, and then died in May 2004. To her we say a special heartfelt ‘thank you,’ and to everyone, thank you so much for what you have done to bring our troops home,” Sebelius said. “There is no doubt Kansans care deeply about our soldiers and this is a small way to thank them and their families for their service and sacrifice.”

The lead corporate givers, Wal-Mart Stores and Koch Industries, Inc., donated more than $40,000 to help bring Kansas soldiers home for the holidays. Wal-Mart presented a check to the Kansas National Guard Foundation for $21,225 and Koch Industries, Inc. presented a check for $20,000.

“Wal-Mart is committed to being an active member of the communities we serve,” said Angie Stoner, senior manager of public affairs for Wal-Mart Stores. “With this contribution, we hope to make a positive difference in the lives of our men and women serving overseas by helping to bring them home for the holidays.”

“The holidays are a time when families should be together, especially these military families who sacrifice so much,” said Mark Nichols, director of public affairs for Koch Industries, Inc. “We’re happy to do our part to get the troops home.”

A wide array of Kansas organizations and individuals also responded to the Governor’s call for financial support for our troops. Hundreds of individuals have made donations, including a WWII veteran who sent a check to the Governor’s office for $1,000 to answer her call to help bring our troops home for the holidays.

The Dodge City Harley Owners Group Chapter and Thunder of the Plains Motorcycle Rally Committee, located in southwest Kansas, raised enough funds to pay for one of the buses that will bring the soldiers home from Texas. This bus, from Diamond Limousine Service in Montezuma, will travel from Fort Bliss to Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City.

Funds donated to the Kansas National Guard Foundation and the 161st Field Artillery Regiment Association will go toward the cost of four additional buses from Prestige Bus Charters to bring troops to Lenexa and Kansas City. Prestige Bus Company has taken ten percent off the normal cost for these Guard members. The 161st Field Artillery Regiment Association began collecting donations several weeks ago and raised $10,000 toward the effort. The association is made up of retirees and former regiment members.

Efforts by Mindy Reed, wife of Staff Sgt. Brian Reed, from Battery C, raised enough money to purchase 17 commercial airline tickets which will be given to the soldiers in Battery C, 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, who are unable to purchase the tickets themselves.

Other donors who have stepped forward to assist the soldiers are:
American Legion Riders – $ 5,000
T&M Financial Services of Topeka – $5,000
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway – $5,000
Deffenbaugh Industries, Inc. of Shawnee Mission - $5,000
Kansas Speedway – $5,000
Listeners of 106.5 FM radio, the Wolf, in Kansas City – $ 3, 416.50
AT&T Telecomm Pioneers of Topeka – $2,500
Layne Christenson Company of Shawnee Mission – $2,000
Oneok Energy of Topeka – $1,000
Kansas Air National Guardsmen with the 190th Air Refueling Wing – $1,000
Padgett Agency of Greenleaf – $1,000
Topeka Transfer and Storage – $1,000
Hutchinson Correctional Facility inmates also contributed $1,000 to the holiday travel expenses through their Rock Castle Jaycee chapter.

Chartered buses will bring many of the soldiers from the 161st Field Artillery to Kansas. The soldiers’ holiday leave is from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2.

“We’ve seen the true spirit of Christmas shine through in this effort by Governor Sebelius and many others to get our citizen soldiers home for Christmas,” said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, Kansas Adjutant General. “It’s truly amazing what the people of Kansas have done. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for this generous showing of support for the Kansas National Guard.”

Barbara Bunting, chair of the Kansas National Guard Foundation added: “The incredible response we have had in Kansas shows our state stands strongly behind their citizen soldiers and their families.”

The additional money raised above what is needed for the buses in Kansas will remain with the Kansas National Guard Foundation which provides financial support for programs aimed at helping Guard members, their families and their communities in dealing with various aspects of military deployments. These include emergency financial relief services, camps for children, community meetings and trainings for family members trying to deal with issues arising from soldier deployments, as well as transitioning through the return home. The Foundation also supports programs that educate the public about the roles and accomplishments of the Guard and their families and the benefits of the Guard in Kansas communities.

Oklahoma residents also raised enough money and donations of services to bring home the 45th Infantry Brigade, the unit that Kansas troops will deploy with during their tour in Iraq.

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