As we embark on 2024, we are thrilled to share with you our participation in the Duluth Fall Festival last year.
So let’s catch up!
What a heartwarming week it has been, as volunteers gathered to prepare Christmas gifts for our brave soldiers. The efforts were not confined to just one week; the story behind this act of kindness is worth sharing.
Peachtree Pest Control, which is a division of Pestban, enthusiastically spearheaded a cotton candy fundraiser at the Duluth Fall Festival. Their unwavering dedication resulted in several thousand dollars raised in support of Hugs for Our Soldiers, which helped provide Christmas gifts for our troops.
The Duluth Fall Festival, an esteemed U.S. Government certified charitable organization, stands as a pinnacle of success in the Southeast. In its 2023 edition, running from September 23 to October 1, the festival received immense support and participation, also thanks to Peachtree Pest Control which was proudly positioned as a Diamond Plus sponsor.
Hugs for Our Soldiers, a volunteer-driven nonprofit established in 2003, remains committed to lifting the spirits of our troops deployed overseas. Their mission captures the essence of home, sending care packages, letters, and heartfelt gestures to soldiers, embodying the generosity of the American people.
The dedication of volunteers and supporters is truly remarkable. Monetary donations were needed in order to purchase additional gift products and pay for shipping. The community’s response was overwhelming, with efforts led by the Helping Hands Committee, spreading awareness through flyers that were distributed to our local community, and engaging local support.
As the week progressed, the tireless efforts of the volunteers became more and more evident. For over a decade, the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee have adopted Hugs for Our Soldiers as their gift of caring organization. They encourage the public to buy an extra box for a soldier. Ultimately, the Girl Scouts donated over 3,000 items to Hugs for Our Soldiers. The gift-wrapping began and the spirited team quickly packed boxes containing 3,000 Girl Scout chocolates.
Once completed, the gifts were passed down to our team of men who were doing all of the packing and preparing each box for shipment overseas to soldiers in Poland, Romania, Germany, Slovakia and Estonia.
The volunteers exhibited boundless enthusiasm, assembling Christmas gift bags filled with cans of Girl Scout cashews and toffee nuts. Each item was meticulously placed, destined to bring joy to soldiers deployed in distant countries.
Our volunteers then went right to work on our next project of making 1,000 Christmas bags filled with peppermint sticks and hot chocolate. Hugs for Our Soldiers is fortunate to work with a Special Ops unit and we know that they will be very grateful to receive these from home.
The climax of their efforts was the assembly of hundreds of Christmas stockings, brimming with heartfelt goodies. The festive spirit radiated from the tables decorated with treats, as the Hugs volunteers diligently filled each stocking. The culmination was met with the packing of the last box, sealing it with care before its journey to the post office to find its way to soldiers overseas.
This collective effort aimed to evoke smiles and warmth in the hearts of our soldiers during the holiday season. To all who played a part in this noble cause, your contributions are invaluable, creating waves of joy across borders.
The call from Hugs for Our Soldiers to send Christmas gifts to our deployed troops resonates deeply as the longing for home during the holidays is palpable. We hoped that each Christmas gift put a smile on their faces during this holiday time. Our team at Peachtree Pest Control would like to thank everyone involved in making this happen!
