Sunday, January 04, 2004

OPERATION HERO MILES

Now extended to help families cover the costs of visiting their wounded.

Very cool.
“Sometimes, the love and support of family is the best medicine to help an injured troop recover from his or her injuries,” said U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., the lawmaker who kicked off “Operation Hero Miles,” a program in which travelers can donate their frequent flyer miles.

With a donation of 680 free plane tickets from beermaker Anheuser-Busch Inc., the program has expanded to now funnel some of the donated tickets and frequent flyer miles to families visiting wounded or ill troops at one of the 29 Fisher Houses set up at military hospitals in the United States. There also are two facilities in Landstuhl, Germany.

The free tickets will be given out first to families “in need” and who cannot afford to pay their own way, said Fisher House spokesman Jim Weiskopf.

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