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Care Packages Show Gratitude To Troops

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By JESSICA BAIR, The Suncoast News

Published: September 18, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - Carolyn Blashek heard a compelling story from an American soldier in March 2003 while volunteering in the military lounge at Los Angeles International Airport.

'He told me it was the first time in his military career he thought he would not make it back, but that it didn't matter because no one would care,' Blashek recalled.

The soldier said he had just lost his mother, his wife left him, and his only child died as an infant.

The experience showed Blashek just how important it is to let the men and women of America's fighting forces know that someone cares about them, she said.

It also prompted her to start Operation Gratitude.

'We started slowly by getting names of people with family or relatives overseas,' she explained.

Initially, Operation Gratitude sent 10 to 15 packages each week from her home in Encino, Calif.

'Then it just started to mushroom,' Blashek said.

Now the nonprofit organization and its volunteer army send 100,000 packages a year as part of the holiday drive in the fall and winter and the patriotic drive in spring and summer.

'Our mission is to lift morale and put a smile on the troops' faces, while giving every American the means of expression to say thank you,' said Blashek, a 50-year-old mother of two.

The packages contain letters of encouragement, snacks, and personal care and entertainment items.

Across the country, tens of thousands of supporters and contributors have been joining the effort, like military mom Terry Billotti of New Port Richey.

She, too, has seen the sadness on troops' faces as she has worked at veterans medical facilities on the Suncoast.

'They looked utterly desolate; it was a haunted look,' Billotti, 57, said. 'It left an impression on me, and as I got older, I said I would do something if I could.'

She has.

Billotti, whose 28-year-old son. Chris, returned from Iraq in April, learned of Operation Gratitude from a commercial on cable television's Military Channel. She went to the nonprofit organization's Web site to learn more.

Now she's organized the 'Red, White and Blue' benefit at 1 p.m. Oct. 6 at Hudson Bowl, 14523 U.S. 19 N. Check-in time starts at noon.

Prizes will be given during the event.

Tickets to bowl are $15. Donations will be accepted from spectators.

All proceeds go directly to Operation Gratitude to pay shipping costs, Billotti said.

Postage alone costs $1 million a year, Blashek said. Each package costs about $10 to send overseas.

The shipments go to places where American troops are stationed, including Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Africa, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Navy ships.

Billotti also plans to start a greeting card and letter writing campaign for veterans and active duty personnel.

For more on the bowling benefit, call Billotti at (727) 841-9744 or Brett Robinson at (727) 869-7750.

Meanwhile, contributions are needed for the care packages.

To see a wish list of items, go to www.opgratitude.com.

On July 24, Army Spec. Alfonso Sanchez, who is serving with a military police unit in Baghdad, received the 250,000th package from Operation Gratitude, according to the Web site.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, the latest tally was 258,061.

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