"Letters of Appreciation" Contest

Dear Friends,
We have known from the very beginning since starting Operation Iraq 4 years ago* that the most precious gift the troops have received in our individual Christmas packages was the wonderful handwritten letters of appreciation from the children back home.

This is there number 1 item they treasure the most and the first gift they see when opening our precious Christmas packages.

It has become a tradition over the years to place these important letters as the final item in each box. When the soldiers opened the boxes on Christmas morning, the first gift found was this precious letter. It set the tone for how much we appreciated the sacrifice they were making.

As a result, it gives us great pleasure to announce the

contest for children and young adults, grades 1 through 12. This is a great time for all the kids across our country to express their feelings about the very real sacrifices our American troops are making.

To enter, write a letter that tells of your appreciation and gratitude to the men and women serving their country in Iraq. Each letter received is precious and will be included in a package that will be sent to our troops. Twelve letters representing each grade, one through twelve, will be chosen by a panel of judges.

Thor Tolo has agreed to read the winners of this year's "Letter of Appreciation contest" on the air over the 12 days of Christmas and some will be read on December 24th. What a wonderful way to celebrate our winners, and do it together with own Thor Tolo on (http://www.kgnw.com/)

Please mail or drop off entries to:

Jeff Sand
State Farm Insurance
Attn: Letters of Appreciation
204 Central Way
Kirkland, WA 98033

Operation Iraq
PO BOX 646
Kirkland, WA 98083

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU WRITE YOUR GRADE NUMBER AT THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF THE ENVELOPE

IMPORTANT ITEMS:

• Place grade number on the front lower right corner of envelope
• Include a separate piece of paper with your contact information (name, phone, grade). This information WILL NOT be included in the Christmas packages.

Note: CDs of the live readings will be made and will be included in future Christmas packages.

Contest Guidelines

• The contest will run from October 1 to November 09, 2007. All letters must be received not later than November 09, 2007.
• Letters are limited to one page
• One entry per person
• On a separate sheet, include your name, grade, and contact information. (This information WILL NOT be included in the Christmas package.)
• At the bottom of the letter, include ONLY your name and grade.
• There will be 12 winners, one for each grade.

Rules

• Contestants must be in grade school or high school (grades 1 through 12).
• Contest winners will be decided by a panel of judges. Decisions of the judges are final.
• All entries will become the property of Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas and cannot be returned. (Remember that every letter is going to be sent in a Christmas box to our troops.)
• All letters must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 09, 2007.

Enjoy writing this wonderful letter to our beloved military men and women serving our country. Just know that each and every letter they receive is going to be the #1 gift that our soldiers will treasure throughout their entire tour.

Thank you for your continuing support. Blessings to you and your loved ones this upcoming Christmas season.

Ruth Ann Young