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| Children from the South Habersham 6th Grade Academy with their goodies and stockings for the troops! |
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| Some of the Christmas stockings the team has prepared. Way to go Linda and all!!! |
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| One of the soldiers the Patriots of Piedmont has adopted is SSG Katrina L. (left). AaSP has also adopted this team and we salute SSG L. and the team from Charlie Co., 4th BSTB, 82nd Airborne for their bravery and dedication. |
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Piedmont College
Demorest, GA
Team Leader:
Linda Pitts
Piedmont College has been a Special Friend of AaSP for several years now. Team Leader Linda was able to acquire soccer jerseys from the Piedmont "Lions" for our Operation Hearts and Minds in Al Anbar Province. These jerseys were very appreciated by our 1SG there - "they are GORGEOUS jerseys," he said.
The Patriots of Piedmont College work hard to support our troops. They do all kinds of fund raisers to support units from Georgia and other states. And they support Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon and its multitude of adoptees and units.
Update October 12, 2009
Operation Christmas Stocking – The team has begun making its Christmas Stockings. The goal is 500 stockings. They will be picking up a new group from Fort Gordon in October and plan to send these to them. They are collecting items for the stockings. Linda asks If you have a group that can help fill the stockings, contact her immediately. This is a great project for clubs, civic organizations and school groups.
Female Soldier Care Packages – help is needed packing female care packages. They have the items, just need people to volunteer packing them. A lunch hour pack-a-thon is planned. Hammer and Charlie Rock Care Packages – they just mailed the last of 40 boxes to individual soldiers. Thanks to everyone that contributed! The postage alone on these boxes was over $400! Good job! Mission accomplished!
These are the groups the Patriots are currently supporting: Charlie Rock – 300 Infantry men in Iraq; Hammer – 500 soldiers in Iraq; Tropic Lightening – 40 Infantry men in Iraq. 8 individual soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and Bravo Company/Mountain Men - an Infantry unit in Afghanistan.
July 09 Update: The team launched the Patriots of Piedmont web page. Check it out! Great job by Tim S and team! Also, the Patriots gave out 23 Youth American Spirit Awards to very deserving Habersham County children and five spirit awards were presented to teachers; Patriots also sent goodies to I-Roq Baghdad for prize giveawys; Patriots worked with the Cornelia Elementary School's 4th and 5th grade classes to make banners for one of their adopted units -- Charlie Rock -- a total of 8 banners were made; the Patriots also hosted the visit by LTC Carlos Morales, Commander of the 63d ESB from Fort Gordon, and his family to the campus for July 4th. It was a great visit considering the Patriots supported LTC M. and his Battalion during its deployment to Iraq in 2007/2008. And last but certainly not least, the Patriots have already begun making Christmas stockings for the 2009 holiday. Last year, Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon was a lucky recipient of over 200 hand made stockings for the troops! Thanks to Linda Pitts and all the great Patriots for their OUTSTANDING work!!!
April 2009 activity included sending hand-rolled cigars to soldiers, their patented "Hugs for Heroes" quilts, Valentine Cards from a local 5th grade class (thanks Mark R.) and a 6th grade class (thanks Jennifer H.). Additionally, the team leader, Linda Pitts, has set up sporting events, fundraisers and Meet and Greet with the troops that show how the Great State of Georgia and Piedmont College support our troops (thanks Linda!).
Last year they hosted four female soldiers -- the Lady Wolfpack -- from the 63d ESB. (for more info on this event, CLICK HERE to download 2MB pdf from "The Northeast Georgian newspaper.") The team also provided hundreds of hand-made Christmas stockings for soldiers and collected clothing and toys for needy Middle East children.
200 hand sewed Christmas stockings were shipped to Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon. They were absolutely gorgeous! Special thanks to Linda P, Evelyne C, Letha G and Judy H for the incredible generosity and love for our soldiers and for their support of Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon. Thank you! The clothing and toys will go to Iraqi and Afghani children.
On July 4th, the Patriots, which are comprised mostly of students and families of Piedmont College, sold soft drinks, T-shirts and even fun "press-on tattoos" to raise money for the 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion of Fort Gordon, GA, currently stationed in Iraq and other units, including a small unit of the 101st Airborne in Afghanistan.
Pictures from the event: Amy J. is at her "Tattoo Parlor" on the front steps of the Chapel. She put around 50 tattoos on children that morning. She is a Piedmont alum. Mrs. Ashley C., wife of the college president, is driving the truck filled with little Patriots. Walking in the parade are three young soldiers, Megan and Chuck B. and Joel L., all currently attending Piedmont College. In the Mustang are three veterans: Paul D., Bob J. and Nick N. Paul's wife is also riding with them. She is a newcomer to the Patriots and is busy sewing Christmas Stockings.
Thanks to Linda P. and all the Patriots for their generosity, hard work and love of our country! (See the photo album below for the pictures.)
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| July 4, 2009, at Piedmont College. |
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| The wonderful people at Piedmont hand sewed hundreds of stockings for our troops. Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon was fortunate to get 200 of them. The stockings will be filled and sent to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq; to NJ soldiers in Baghdad and southern Iraq and to a hospital in Baghdad. Thank you Linda P. and your family and friends at Piedmont College. |
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| The fabulous Piedmont College support team poses for Christmas picture after sending out more than 250 Xmas packages for 2007! |
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| Piedmont College's Leesa (L) and Linda (R) flank LTC Carlos M's wife Margie on a recent visit by some of the Piedmont crew to Fort Gordon to visit the home of the 63rd ESB. |
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| The Piedmont College ladies in the picture (L to R: Becca, Rhonda, Leesa, Judy, Wanda and Carla) are seen packing 200 Christmas stockings for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
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| This is Heather and Carla. We've been told they are the true BOB's of Piedmont! Business Office Babes! Their beauty is inside and out as they work hard to get packages out the door. |
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| This is Leesa. She's the boss of the department. Leesa bought pizza for all the ladies that helped with boxing items for soldiers on 11/9/07. |
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| Here Kathy is instructing Judy on how not get her finger caught in the shipping tape! LOL |
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11-10-07: The Piedmont College crew has been hard at work. Recently they sold t-shirts to raise money for their activities, packed over 100 Christmas stockings for the troops, sent over 500 Christmas cards to soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Walter Reed AMC in Washington. In addition to that, the crew packed and shipped over 20 cartons on Friday, November 9th, for the soldiers, including soldiers in the 63rd ESB, our Signal Corps unit based in their home state of Georgia. Additionally, Linda sent a check for an X-Box 360 that will go to the 63rd ESB. How's that for great folks! Thank you Piedmont and thank you Linda!
10-5-07: We learned that Linda's Mom acquired 29 youth soccer jerseys. These jerseys will be sent to the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad for the children supported by their outreach programs.
The Piedmont College team is continuing its support of our troops, not only by its support to the 412th CA Bn, but also to include one of AaSP's newest adoptee units, the 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion. Turns out the 63rd is from Georgia and it gives the team a chance to support its home team. Linda and the team recently shipped more than 10 boxes to the 63rd. And they are starting a club to focus on supporting the troops at the college. Thanks Linda and team!! The Piedmont team includes nursing students anxious to support our troops. Recently, the Piedmont volleyball coach gave Linda 50 women's volleyball jerseys for the soldiers. So we're asking our units if there are any girls volleyball teams in Iraq who can use them. Thanks Piedmont!!
Piedmont College requires its freshmen to give back to the community. Now Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon's adoptees will be part of that program. Thanks Linda and thanks Piedmont College! And thanks Coach Jimmy Stephens for your help getting our soldiers the soccer jerseys so they can build better relations with the local police, army and people and establish a more secure environment for the Iraqi people and for our soldiers!
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| Our Piedmont College team is very patriotic. The Piedmont girls softball team and coaches dedicated a game to honor our soldiers and then presented a game ball and American flag to team leader Linda Pitts (2nd from R) who sent the flag to a soldier in Iraq. What a crew! |
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