The American Red Cross Kicks Off Its Annual Holiday for Heroes Campaign

MIAMI, Fla. (August 29, 2022) — In preparation for this year’s holiday season, the American Red Cross South Florida Region is kicking off its annual Holiday for Heroes initiative. Holiday for Heroes is a long-running campaign that offers residents across South Florida a special way to care for and honor our military heroes.

Holiday for Heroes provides the community with the opportunity to write messages and donate items for holiday care packages to be distributed to active-duty military members deployed around the world and local veterans in hospitals or nursing homes. These items and notes are graciously donated by residents and placed inside holiday stockings hand-sewn by volunteers. For more than ten years, South Florida Red Cross volunteers have cut and sewn thousands of stockings. Holiday for Heroes started in the Naples and Fort Myers area but has since spread throughout the entire region.

The Red Cross, with lead partner Arthrex, Inc. and other sponsors, will assemble and deliver these stockings, filled with messages of thanks and donated items, to military members and veterans away from their families during the holidays. Last year, Red Cross assembled and delivered more than 1000 stockings.

“Serving military communities is at the core of what we do at the American Red Cross,” said Ivan Sterpin, Service to the Armed Forces and International Services Director for the South Florida Red Cross. “It means so much for us to team up with our partners and the local community to provide a touch of home to those who have given so much to this country.”

This year, there are two options available for the community to participate. Items for care packages can be purchased from the Holiday for Heroes online gift registry, including direct shipment to the South Florida Red Cross distribution team. Additionally, residents can find a complete list of items that can be donated along with local drop-off locations by visiting redcross.org/holidayforheroes.

To participate, items must be purchased or dropped off by Friday, November 1.

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