Rally in the Alley - First Report

On a quick note, Soldiers' Angels was at the Parkville American Legion Post 318 for the Rally in the Alley! to support our troops!

All I can say as a brief report is that it was a really fantastic experience. We had a number of Angels show up to support our cause. We had a great fun, heard some great bands, met some great people, ran into people that we knew and generally had a good time.

We raised a little money for shipping and had many conversations with folks who wanted to learn how to support our troops. We had a ton of messages written to our troops. Several times throughout the night we were allowed to get up on stage and talk to people about Soldiers' Angels. We received the best responses from people when we told them our "message hat" was empty and started passing out post cards and red, white and blue note pads and also when I read some of the letters and emails from our guys on the front.

During most of the bands and the DJ/announcer talking, people pretty much carried on their conversations at something only slightly less than the sound of a sonic boom. In fact, my ears are still ringing. But, when I started reading the letters, the room got real quiet and people were shushing others so they could hear. I told them about the soldier who wore his Angel pin on his bullet proof vest the day they hit an IED, no one was injured and how he felt an Angel had been watching over him that day. I read them a letter from a young man who said that, when he and the soldiers received such great support from back home, that it made him proud to be fighting for America and our Freedoms.

I told them that this morning, as I do every morning, I checked the temperatures in Baghdad and Kandahar. It was 107* in Baghdad this morning. Our men and women are hot, going on long missions, carrying heavy loads. We received a message thanking us for the Super Soaker Water Guns. They were fun and helped keep them cool.

When I was done, the place erupted into cheers and applause. Then the rush began as people came back to check out our table, send messages and find out about Soldiers' Angels. I know that we recruited several new Angels right on the spot and may have many more coming on board. I hope and pray for that, because our men and women need all the support they can get.

One thing that proved to me: people are hungry for information from the front. More importantly, they are hungry for information from our soldiers. It is the soldier who they believe in the most and it is these letters that helped people understand why we were there to support our troops.

The crowd was one of the best I have had contact with.

I say it every time we do an event, but it is true, so I'll say it again: it just keeps getting better and better. I have video and pictures of course, but I wish that I could bottle up Saturday Night at the Rally and send it to our troops so they could experience, first hand, the kind of love and support that they have here in the states, particularly, here in our community.

Keep an eye out in our local Kansas City Star Faces of the Community for possible pictures of the event and Soldiers' Angels doing our thing.

I have other great news, but I need to confirm it before I spill any beans here.

Stand by for pictures and some video.

A very warm and heartfelt "Thank You!" to the Parkville American Legion Post 318 for having us at their Rally and doing such a wonderful job.

God bless our troops and God bless all of the fine people who made tonight one of the best!



- May no soldier go unloved