Contact

Beth Pennington, President

militarymissions@insightbb.com

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, DC, June 15, 2009 - An absolutely beautiful day in the Bluegrass set the stage for LexSHOUT - Lexington’s Shout Out to the Troops! Members of Military Missions were out early to start their wild and crazy day shooting video clips and taking photographs. Group members caravanned to different Lexington landmarks to catch up with Central Kentuckians out enjoying the best weather weekend of 2009. So what was the purpose of this fun-filled outing? “We want to let our deployed troops know how much we appreciate their service and how much we miss them when they are away from home,” said Military Missions founder, Beth Pennington. “We know that there are a lot of grateful Americans that don't have a personal connection to the military. Our organization provides a way for civilians to say thank you to our troops.

LexSHOUT stops included the Red Mile, Applebee’s Park, Thoroughbred Park, Commonwealth Stadium, and Keeneland. At each stop, group members asked local bystanders to say a word of thanks to our troops. “We had a great response! Everyone wanted to say thanks and we shot a lot of great footage for our video, said Pennington.” “We will definitely do this again!”

Military Missions, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit public charity established to support military members, as well as their families, on a year round basis. “We are always looking for new and different ways to encourage our heroes.” While trying to come up with a new idea for the monthly care package drive, Pennington started thinking about springtime in Kentucky. With the Derby around the corner, it seemed like a great time to send a Kentucky Bluegrass greeting. “Not only will our Kentucky based soldiers get a glimpse of home, but those from other parts of the country will certainly enjoy a glimpse of the Bluegrass during the time of year when all eyes are on Kentucky’s horse racing industry,” said Pennington.

In May, care packages with the theme “Greetings from the Bluegrass” will be sent to approximately 200 deployed troops. Military Missions is encouraging people to donate items with Bluegrass flavor. T-shirts, caps, gadgets and more are going to be put in these packages.

Items having something to do with Lexington, the Bluegrass, Keeneland, the Derby, horse racing, UK, Wildcats, and more are being requested for the troops. Businesses, groups, and individuals are all encouraged to take part in this Bluegrass greeting. Donations are tax deductible.

“Personal messages are the most important part of our care packages,” says Pennington. “When we hear from the soldiers, they always mention how inspiring it is to receive letters of thanks and encouragement. We are hopeful that everyone will go out and purchase about 10 Kentucky postcards, write a short note of thanks, and drop them off to be included in our care packages. We will also include a short message from Military Missions which will include a website link to our LexSHOUT video greeting as well as a slide show with pictures from the day’s events.” The video is already up on the organization’s website and they have already heard from deployed soldiers that have had a chance to watch it. If you are interested in participating in the “Greetings from the Bluegrass” care package drive or if you would like to find out more about Military Missions, Inc., please visit their website at www.militarymissionsonline.com.

###