. . . 2013 Operation Shoebox New Jersey fund raiser calendars . . . $15 . . . Order today, call (908) 698-0333 . . . Johnson&Johnson Veterans Leadership Council partners with OPSHBX NJ to collect donations and ship care packages overseas . . . . . . Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey council hosts first packing of 2013, Saturday, Jan. 26 at Mother Seton Regional High School, Clark . . . . . . OPSHBX NJ XIII Anniversary Packing, Feb. 9, Manville VFW . . .

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Help Us Help Them
Operation Shoebox New Jersey is in urgent need of funds to pay for the care packages we ship to our troops overseas

Each package costs approximately $25 to ship U.S. Parcel Post. To ensure the continuous flow of care packages, we must continue to raise funds. Please be as generous as you can, and help put a smile on the face of a Soldier or Marine. Operation Shoebox NJ is a registered non-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible. Make a donation on-line by clicking on the paypal button below.

Hot Dogs and Porkers race to raise funds for five charities in Somerset County Down the stretch they come . . . and the winner by a snout is - Piggly Wiggly, followed in second by Pork Roll & Cheese, with Squeals of Delight third and bringing up the rear, Pork Butt. Somerville’s inaugural Festiville sponsored by the Downtown Somerville Alliance will feature the first-ever Pig Races on West Main Street Saturday, May 18, beginning at noon. There will be five races, one per hour, including a few “Hot Dog” races. A field of four Dachshunds will also trot out to the starting gate – complete with hot dog rolls strapped across their backs, topped off with a squiggle of mustard. Spectators are encouraged to crowd up to the edge of the track and watch Hold the Mustard, Stretch Limo, Mighty Dog and Tiny stretch out to grab the coveted checkered flag! Each animal will wear a colored racing silk – purple, pink, orange and blue -- to help spectators keep track of their four-legged “investment.” Tickets will be placed in buckets with the corresponding color, with all bets donated to the charity of choice. The Smokehouse Barbecue Restaurant at 45 W. Main St. in Somerville is the sponsor of Saturday’s Hot Dog Pig Races held to benefit five local charities. Betting will be encouraged before each race, with the proceeds donated to the following organizations: Race 1: Somerville Rescue Squad; Race 2: Bridgewater PBA; Race 3: 4-H Clubs of Somerset County; Race 4: Operation Shoebox New Jersey; Race 5: American Cancer Fund. Volunteers from each organization are expected to be on hand. Donations will also be encouraged from bettors for the privilege of “naming rights” for each animal in each race, according to Smokehouse Barbecue owner Sean Ulley<CQ>. T-shirts will also be sold to raise money for the five charities, he added. The circular racetrack will be set up on West Main Street between North Davenport Street and North Doughty Street. Tickets are $1 each, 7 for $10 and 15 for $20, according to Ulley. The oval track measures 50-by-75 feet; the animals will be racing on a padded indoor/outdoor carpet surface. Each race and accompanying entertainment takes 20 minutes, with the animals rested for 40 minutes in between races in an air-conditioned trailer, according to David Feimster<CQ>, owner of F&F Productions, based in Jackson, NJ. He has been traveling around the country for 25 years with his stable. “We’ll go to Blue Hill, ME to Phoenix, AZ over the course of a year,” Feimster said. Any tips on which pig to bet to win? “Pick the pink pig with the curly tail,” he said. Further information is available by calling The Smokehouse at (908) 864-4646 or on the website at www.smokehousebbqnj.com Bustling beehive at Operation Shoebox Montgomery Senior Center seniors and J&J workers pack personal care and candy boxes for US troops. video by Kathy Johnson 051013 Laure DePrado interviewing Sparky Lyle, Assemblywoman Donna Simon, Freeholder Bob Zaborowski, Artist James Fiorentino, Auctioneer Joe Bodnar and some past and present Service men. The Wine Tasting And Fundraiser was held at the Wine Room in Bound Brook, with over 150 people attendance to help raise funds for Operation Shoebox. Highlight of the Auction was a photo of the World Trade Center taken from a plane two days before 9-11. To view more photos from this event, click here.

		By Rod Hirsch \| Nov,15 2012 Banner shipped to Afghanistan is back in the USA - Army SSgt. Jeff Mullins, a Central New Jersey resident, is back home safely from a deployment in Afghanistan, and will return a banner signed by fans and the Somerset Patriots ballplayers at TD Bank Ballpark during June 14 Flag Day ceremonies hosted by Operation Shoebox New Jersey. The banner was rolled up and shipped to Mullins in Afghanistan, where he took photographs of the banner at the base in Kandahar where he was stationed. Mullins will present the banner during the Patriots annual Christmas dinner Dec. 6 at The Palace in Somerset. Johnson &Johnson Veterans Leadership Council – Operation Shoebox New Jersey has partnered with the employees of Johnson&Johnson and its subsidiaries to collect donations and pack care packages for shipment overseas under the auspices of the Johnson&Johnson Veterans Leadership Council. OPSHBX NJ volunteers Steve Swink and Earl Wilson helped employees of Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Raritan pack 160 boxes in October. Employees are also participating in an online purchase program through the Johnson&Johnson company store in conjunction with Veterans Day through which various packages of toiletries and personal care items can be ordered online. Pearl Harbor Day packing event – Operation Shoebox New Jersey is working with SHI Corp., a worldwide computer solutions company on a Dec. 7 packing at the company's global headquarters in Franklin. Employees have been collecting supplies and expect to ship 500 care packages overseas. Hurricane Sandy – OPSHBX NJ headquarters lost its power for more than a week, and was forced to cancel the Nov. 3 VIII annual Christmas Packing & Santa's Workshop at the Manville VFW. We will return to the VFW in Manville on Feb. 9, 2013 for the OPSHBX NJ VIII Anniversary packing. Helping out - OPSHBX NJ has shipped some supplies to victims of the hurricane at the New Jersey shore and will continue to do so in partnership with Quidsi, Inc., a Jersey City e-commerce company that is a part of Amazon.com. Quidsi is supplying OPSHBX NJ with a variety of baby care products and beauty, health and household items that will be shipped throughout New Jersey by OPSHBX NJ to agencies that are assisting victims of the hurricane to get back on their feet. That was sweet of you – Somerset County Senior Centers in Raritan and Montgomery have been busy bagging loose candy donated to Operation Shoebox New Jersey by shoppers at 15 Walgreen stores throughout Central New Jersey. This'n'that – Cub Scout Pack 850 in Montgomery gathered supplies and packed 55 boxes for shipment overseas in time for the Christmas holiday . . . St. Gabriel's RC Church in Marlboro continues to collect donations that will be handed over to OPSHBX NJ on Dec. 11; this is the third year in a row that the parish has sponsored a collection . . . the Short Hills-Millburn School District recently concluded a collection of candy that will be delivered to OPSHBX NJ headquarters in Hillsborough . . . employees of AT&T at various locations throughout New Jersey have collected 60 copy boxes of excess Halloween candy that has been donated to OPSHBX NJ . . . Members of the Canal Walk Veterans Club will be collecting donations outside the ShopRite Supermarket on Elizabeth Avenue in Somerset on Sunday, Dec. 2 . . . Rod Hirsch is the founder and executive director of Operation Shoebox New Jersey. Interested in volunteering, sponsoring a collection drive, or making a donation? Contact Rod at opshbxnj@yahoo.com
Help Emily and Molly “Save Our Shore” Emily McEntee and Molly McEntee designed these colorful t-shirts to raise money and help those affected by Super Storm Sandy to rebuild their lives, homes and businesses along the New Jersey Shore. T-shirts are available in both youth and adult sizes. All money raised through the sale of the “Save Our Shore” t-shirts will be donated by Operation Shoebox New Jersey to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund established by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie. Each shirt costs $20. Order online by connecting to: http://customstoreonline.com/SOS. All major credit cards are accepted. Emily, 12 and Molly, 9 are the granddaughters of Rod Hirsch, founder and executive director of Operation Shoebox New Jersey who was recognized as a “New Jersey Hero” by the first lady’s New Jersey Heroes Foundation in December, 2011. Operation Shoebox New Jersey is a 501C3 non-profit organization that sends personal care packages overseas to US military personnel in Afghanistan and around the world. Since 2005, volunteers have shipped over 59,000 packages overseas. Operation Shoebox New Jersey has also been sending much-needed supplies to New Jersey National Guard units assisting the clean-up effort in towns up and down the shore, as well as thousands of our New Jersey neighbors in need. Operation Shoebox New Jersey will keep a running tally of shirts sold and the amount of money raised on its website; remember, 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the relief fund. Further information is available online at www.SandyNJReliefFund.org or www.opshoeboxnj.org BECOME A PHILANTHROPIST WITHOUT SPENDING A DIME Help Support Operation Shoebox New Jersey through the Affinity Membership Program sponsored by TD Bank. If you are already a TD Bank customer, visit any TD Bank location and ask to have your balances included as part of the Operation Shoebox New Jersey Affinity Membership Program; or, open a new account at any office and TD Bank will make a contribution to Operation Shoebox New Jersey. TD Bank will make an annual contribution to Operation Shoebox New Jersey based on the average balance in all members' accounts. Checkings, savings, money market, CD and retirement accounts are all included in the program. If 100 people enroll, and their combined bank balance is $2 million, Operation Shoebox would receive a check from TD Bank for $8,000, based on the ¼ percent rate. (See below). Contributions are calculated at 1/2 percent on checking balances and 1/4 percent on savings, money market, CD and IRA balances. Members' accounts are not affected in any way by this contribution. Your account balances are used to determine the level of contribution and are kept confidential. It costs you nothing! There are several ways to enroll in the program. You must use the following code number: A3342. Call Anthony Franchini, manager of the Hillsborough TD Bank, Route 206, (908) 359-7004 or send him an e-mail - Anthony.franchini@td.com. You can also visit or call your branch of TD Bank; just tell the manager you want to enroll in the program. Remember to use the code number. The Affinity Membership Program is part of TD Bank's philanthropy and community outreach initiative, as required by the Community Reinvestment Act enacted by Congress in 1977 to ensure banks give back to the communities they serve.

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Full List

The Regional Command East Combined Joint Task Force 1 Chaplain's office has received a number of care packages from Operation Shoebox NJ. Chaplain Eric Anderson of the 1st Calvary Division has been kind enough to share his photo journal of life in a forward area in Bagram, Afghanistan with us. View Journal

SHI & McAfee Team Up with Op Shoebox NJ

News, Events and Fundraisers

2013 Volunteers Needed

May 11, Saturday, Route 206, Raritan, Stop & Shop

May 18, Saturday, Armed Forces Day Packing, Alpha Volunteer First Aid Building

May 25, SaturdayPrinceton Spirit Committee, Senior Citizen Center, Municipal Complex
June 8, Saturday, XIII Anniversary Packing, Manville VFW

June 22, Saturday, Frank Valanzola Memorial Bocce Ball Tournament & Packing, Somerset

NJ Heroes

May 15, 2012 - NJ Hereos Honors LCpl Zachary R. Sandars and Operation Shoebox NJ

View on YouTube

Recent Packing Events

April 27 - Hosted by the West Milford Presbyterian Church Women's Club, OPSHBXNJ volunteers packed 345 care packages for US troops overseas.
April 13 - For the third consecutive year , St. Michael's School in Cranford hosted a packing event, with OPSHBXNJ volunteers packing 378 care packages.
April 13 - The parishioners of St. Rose of Lima R.C. Church in Short Hills celebrated a day dedicated to volunteerism and community service by packing 331 boxes with OPSHBXNJ volunteers.

NOSING AROUND!

CiCi, a German Shepard, nosing around in care packages sent to her handler, Kyle Luthman, in Oman. Oman is one of the smaller Mideast kingdoms on the Persian Gulf where Kyle and CiCi, Central Jersey residents, are deployed with the Air Force from McGuire AFB in New Jersey.

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Register for an event or volunteer op

Operation Shoebox is always in need of volunteers. Want to help out? Register by clicking the button below or click here to see a full listing of packings and events.

Submit the name of a deployed soldier

Have a friend, relative, or loved one overseas? Submit their name here to receive a care package.

Hot Dogs and Porkers race to raise funds for five charities in Somerset County

Bustling beehive at Operation Shoebox

Help Emily and Molly “Save Our Shore”

SHI & McAfee Team Up with Op Shoebox NJ

News, Events and Fundraisers

NOSING AROUND!

Register

Hot Dogs and Porkers race to raise funds
for five charities in Somerset County