Support our troops w/ used gear! Operation Slugger!!!
Fellow Softballers,
As I’m sure you can imagine H&B has received (and continues to receive) a number of emails from soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan seeking baseball and softball equipment. They need things to do for recreation in the small periods of down time that they have. It helps them get a small piece of home while boosting their morale.
As you may be aware, we have sent a significant amount of Louisville Slugger equipment over the past two years. However, like any company, we have budgets we must remain within. At the same time, we don’t want to say, “no,” to our soldiers. So, for some time we have had an idea for a program to collect gently used sporting goods equipment to be sent to our soldiers. That idea is coming to fruition thanks to an organization started here in Kentucky called USA Cares. With their assistance we are ready to start collecting equipment from all across the country. The name of our effort is OPERATION SLUGGER.
A large number of VFW Posts across the U.S. will be collection centers. DHL has jumped in and offered to move 20 tons of equipment from across the country here to Louisville where USA Cares volunteers will sort and pack the equipment. This sorting and packing will take place at Louisville Stoneware, which has also jumped in to help by providing warehouse space. Then, Military Air will help move the equipment into Iraq and Afghanistan for our U.S. soldiers.
Please take a minute to look in your garages, attics, basements, and trunks of your cars. Do you have some gently used sports equipment like bats, balls, gloves, footballs, volleyballs, or frisbees that you’re not using anymore? You probably do. Consider bringing that stuff in to a collection point near you. You can find your local collection point by logging on to www.operationslugger.org. Collection points are being established across America. DHL will pick up equipment from 100 centralized locations and bring it to Louisville, Kentucky where it will be prepared for shipping to our men and women overseas. On Flag Day, the 14th of June, the first sets of equipment will be given to representatives of the military at a ceremony at Louisville Slugger Field in downtown Louisville.
If there is not a collection point near you, you can still donate by sending your gently used sports equipment to:
Operation Slugger
c/o Louisville Stoneware
731 Brent St.
Louisville, KY 40204
For more information on OPERATION SLUGGER please visit www.operationslugger.org and thank you in advance for you support!
