EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Bailey Reese, Longwood Elementary 5th grader, shows and Col. Mark Simpson, 53d Wing vice commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Randy Salefske, 53d WG command chief, her scrap book and Hero Hugs bear during a recent military appreciation luncheon and Hero Hugs working party to fill more than 300 oriental food to-go boxes with goodies to send to deployed Airmen. The 11-year-old is the founder and president of the America Supports You grassroots organization, Hero Hugs. She was just named the 2007 Real American Girl of the Year by American Girl. Her organization, Hero Hugs, will receive a $5,000 donation to help with future packages and her school will also get a $5,000 donation from American Girl. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Andrew Leonhard)
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Bailey Reese, Longwood Elementary 5th grader, shows Col. Mark Simpson, 53d Wing vice commander, how to decorate his oriental food to-go box prior to filling it with treats to send to deployed Airmen. The 11-year-old is the founder and president of America Supports You grassroots organization, Hero Hugs. Ms. Reese, her classmates and Airmen from the 53d Wing, worked together to fill more than 300 boxes to be shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Andrew Leonhard)
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Bailey Reese, Longwood Elementary 5th grader, reaches to collect more goodies to stuff into her patriotic decorated oriental food to-go box to send to deployed Airmen. The 11-year-old is the founder and president of America Supports You grassroots organization, Hero Hugs. Ms. Reese, her classmates and Airmen from the 53d Wing, worked together to fill more than 300 boxes to be shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan. She was just named the 2007 Real American Girl of the Year by American Girl. Her organization, Hero Hugs, will receive a $5,000 donation to help with future packages and her school will also get a $5,000 donation from American Girl. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Andrew Leonhard)
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE Fla. -- Bailey Reese, 5th grader at Longwood Elementary, helps Col. Mark Simpson, 53d Wing vice commander, fill a couple of oriental food to-go boxes with treats for deployed Airmen. The 11-year-old is the founder and president of America Supports You grassroots organization, Hero Hugs, that allows children to send appreciation packages to deployed personnel. The students and Airmen from the 53d worked together to fill more than 300 boxes to be shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Andrew Leonhard)
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE Fla. -- Angela Riseden, 5th grader at Longwood Elementary, helps Command Chief Master Sgt. Randy Salefske, 53d Wing, fill a couple of oriental food to-go boxes with treats for deployed Airmen. The students and Airmen from the 53d worked together to fill more than 300 boxes to be shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Andrew Leonhard)
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE Fla. -- Bailey Reese (center right) and Angela Riseden, 5th graders at Longwood Elementary, pose with Col. Mark Simpson, 53d Wing vice commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Randy Salefske, 53d WG command chief, during recent military appreciation luncheon and Hero Hugs working party to fill more than 300 oriental food to-go boxes with goodies to send to deployed Airmen. Ms. Reese is the founder and president of the America Supports You grassroots organization, Hero Hugs that allows children to send appreciation packages to deployed personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Andrew Leonhard)