Amazing Women - Stars of Love

I've just spent the last week with some pretty amazing women.

On Monday and Tuesday our incredible volunteers Judy (who's been at EVERY camp in the past 6 years) and Jenny (who's missed only two and made up for it by filling in as camp director - at the very last minute!) got together with Jill, our office administrator and went through every detail of our camp program for a procedure manual. I know!!! Ho, hum, boring right??? Yes, but these ladies (and the incredible view off the Hoff's cabin deck) made it fun, exciting and productive. With the help of yet another volunteer we will have a complete camp program procedure manual that will guide all and any of us - just in case someone should have to fill in at the last moment. Near the end of our working retreat, the sun, the water, the food and friendship combined to get the creative juices flowing and we developed an awareness and fundraising campaign for our Operation Gold Star camp coming up in November.

Operation Gold Star is for families of servicemen and women who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This family camp, held on November 8 & 9, 2008 will bring those most profoundly effected by the war together in support and community, to work on their on-going grief, develop friendships, discover resources and get a chance to relax and renew in a safe, hopeful and nonpolitical environment.

On of the most powerful activities we do at camp is our candle lighting ceremony where we share stories of love, we laugh and cry as we light up the room with the warmth of our memories. At Operation Gold Star family members will have a gold star candle - a Star of Love - to light and bring home with them to remember their loved one at special times and to remember the special times and people at Operation Gold Star.

To get the word out to Gold Star families about Operation Gold Star and to others who want to support these families we are going to "Light Up Operation Gold Star". By clicking on the Operation Gold Star website at http://www.goldstargrief.org/ anyone can purchase a candle for a camper and dedicate it in honor or in memory of someone they love or someone who is serving or has served in the armed forces. We will add the name to our Stars of Love Wall on the website. The suggested minimum donation is $10.00 and all proceeds will go to help support Operation Gold Star and the work of the Minnesota Foundation for Children so we can continue to offer our programs FREE of charge to Minnesota's grieving children and families.

See what I mean...these ladies were amazing!!! No doubt they're the first in line to buy a Star of Love too. Right after that I had the honor of speaking with the Blue Star Mothers St. Paul Chapter. That says amazing women right there. Blue Star Mothers have sons and daughters currently serving in the military...many of them in Iraq or Afghanistan. These ladies do some incredible work on behalf of and for their sons and daughters and everyones. I spoke with them about Operation Gold Star and our Stars of Love. They were so welcoming and appreciative it was tough to leave. As I was packing up my presentation a woman came up to me and handed me a large bill and said, "Here, these are for the Stars of Love...anonymously" Just like that. Amazing.

This weekend, on Saturday August 9th beginning at 10am Brenda, a Blue Star Mom is hosting a fundraiser for Operation Gold Star at the Minneapolis Gun Club. Her and her husband 'found' us on the web while looking for benefactors of their 2nd annual "Support the Troops" event. C'mon out and do some shooting, see some military equipment, meet soldiers and vets; there's a silent auction and door prizes, not to mention a rifle raffle.

Thank you Brenda, Blue Star Moms and all the amazing women of my week.