Former Turlock resident Jennifer Tindell is driving to Turlock from Washington as her company, Heaven Sent Inc, is holding a Cool Hand Luke’s dinner fundraiser event for to support the Treasure Our Troops organization.
Treasure Our Troops was started in January of 2009, when her cousin and his brother in law were deployed to Afghanistan. It started as her two aunts just sending them care packages, and they would share items from their boxes with others. It slowly turned into more. After her cousin’s brother in law was killed in and IED explosion, things turned around, and they started sending even more.
Each package with shipping (roughly $13), and items to go inside, costs roughly $50.
With the Cool Hand Luke’s dinner fundraiser, Heaven Sent Inc is giving half the proceeds they receive to Treasure Our Troops, to send out care packages for the holiday season. The holiday care packages carry different items than the normal monthly ones they send out. Heaven Sent Inc’s half of the proceeds are going toward their 1st Annual Benefit Pageant we will be holding December 3rd in Modesto. Half the proceeds from the Benefit Pageant will be given to Treasure Our Troops as well, to finish filling the Christmas boxes and getting them shipped.
“We are trying to make this year a year to count,” exclaimed Tindell. “The more tickets we sell for the dinner, the more boxes we’ll get filled.”
Cool Hand Luke’s Fundraiser Dinner Tickets are $10 each. The meal will include 4oz of Rodeo Chicken, 4oz of Tri Tip (both meats are included), rice pilaf, green salad w/ranch dressing, as well as bread & butter.
Anyone who also puts their name on the back of their ticket, will also be entered into a raffle to win different gift cards. The more tickets sold, the more gift cards will be given away.
Tickets are available by emailing jenn.tompkins@ymail.com or texting 253-737-3424. Also, people may call David Tyson at 209-312-3824 for tickets. Checks, money orders, cash, and even PayPal are accepted. Tickets will be emailed if purchased with PayPal.
About Treasure Our Troops:
Treasureourtroops.org is an organization dedicated to showing the appreciation of all Americans to our deployed Military Troops who put their lives on the line daily. We will have a place for all soldiers/ sailors/marines and airmen to register to get letters or packages from home. Their registration will include a bio about them and a list of things they might want or need. If you would like to donate it would be greatly appreciated, however until we get our paperwork you will not be able to get credit on your taxes.
Our family has been financing this operation but decided to go public because most of us are on a fixed income and with the economic situation we aren’t getting to help as many soldiers as we would like. Whether or not you agree with this conflict/war each one of these servicemen and women deserve our respect and appreciation. We can never erase the shame America bears for the way the returning Viet Nam vets were treated but we can see that it never happens again. We all abhor the idea that war even has to exist and lives have to be lost but we need to make sure to treat those who serve proudly with the honor and respect they deserve.
The cost of each box we ship, including contents, is approximately $50. We ship in the flat rate APO boxes the US Post Office has available and it saves a lot on the cost of shipping. The shipping for each box is $12.50. So keep your eyes on this site and help us make the military personnel feel appreciated.
The website is operated and owned by Melody Coates and Trish Glore.
