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Meet the Kids Who Started and Run Hero Hugs.... Hero Hugs was started by Bailey Reese when she was just 7 years old after a hurricane hit the area where she lives. Bailey noticed people were not thanking soldiers passing out ice and water at a checkpoint and instead complaining about the long lines and not getting enough. The soldiers had left the comforts of their homes and families to come help and should have been hearing a lot more thanks! Bailey made it her passion to be sure the awesome men and women who serve our country know someone is thinking of them even when we don't like what they are doing or how they are doing it. Bailey connected with the Safety Office at Balad Air Base in Iraq and has sent packages through this office ever since. While the mailing list has grown and now includes other locations, Hero Hugs is working with the 11th rotation of soldiers to serve in the Safety Office at Balad. Bailey and her team of helpers send anywhere from 500-1200 appreciation packages to U.S. soldiers each month which include holiday themed packs and special packages for the wounded soldiers. Thousands of soldiers have been touched by their kindness! Their motto is simply, "Every Hero Needs a Hug!" For legal purposes, adults have stepped up and volunteer to hold officer positions, but the kids work closely with the adults and continue to be the driving force behind Hero Hugs! Click Here to Email the Kids of Hero Hugs! BAILEY - President
ANGELA - Vice-President
Stephanie - Secretary
TIM - Board of Directors, Chairman
Sarah - Board of Directors
Hero Hugs Officers & Board of Directors Diana Reese, President (Proud Mom of Bailey) CMSgt.
Jerry Blankenship, Vice-President (Missouri Air National Guard) MSgt. Stefanie Riseden, Secretary/Treasurer (Proud Mom of Angela, Sarah and Rachel)
Laura Hussey, Board of Directors (WYZB, 1055 the WOLF) Jacque Whittle, Board of Directors (Longwood Elementary Teacher) Donnie Riseden, Board of Directors (Proud Dad of Angela, Sarah and Rachel)
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Bailey
is the President of Hero Hugs. She is 13 years old and attends Okaloosa
County Blended School and Okaloosa Online. When she is not working on packages
for the soldiers, Bailey enjoys cheerleading, riding her bike, swimming and playing with
her three dogs. She is also a huge fan of the Jonas Brothers, High School
Musical and Hannah Montana. Bailey wants to be a figure skater when she grows up and
also would like to turn "The Adventures of Hero" into a series of books that
would teach kids about life in the military. After the President gave
Bailey a military challenge coin, she started collecting the coins and now has
over 150 coins in her collection. To date, Bailey has logged over
4500 community service hours
sending care packages to soldiers and helping make life better for children in
Iraq. Bailey is a recipient of the President's Call to Service Lifetime
Volunteer Award.
Angela
is 13 and attends Davidson Middle School and serves as the Vice-President of
Hero Hugs. Angela became involved with Hero Hugs while her mom was
deployed to Iraq. She knows first hand how working with Hero Hugs helps
kids who have a military parent deployed feel like they are helping out too.
Angela likes outdoor activities like camping, theatre and enjoys taking dance
classes. Angela has two younger sisters, Sarah and Rachel, who also help
out with Hero Hugs.
Stephanie
is a senior at Okaloosa-Walton Collegiate High School. She is our newest member
to the Hero Hugs team and joined after coming to some Hero Hug events with Tim.
She has many relatives who have served in the military (and some still are)
including her dad and two of her cousins. In her free time she enjoys
playing in the rain, taking advantage of being a kid while it lasts, and going
to the beach. She is thinking about becoming a psychiatrist or a chef.
Stephanie is a member of the Choctawhatchee swim team, Choctaw Stylemarchers,
and is an active member of her church youth group.
Tim
is 17 and in the 12th grade at Northwest Florida Collegiate High School and Niceville Senior High School....he
will graduate at the age of 17 with an Associate's degree!! Tim made the
Fall 2009 Dean's List for Northwest Florida State College. Tim is the
leading force behind Operation Iraqi Friendship and also helps his little sister
Bailey with Hero Hugs. He plans to attend the University of Central
Florida and major in aerospace engineering. He is involved in ROTC, enjoys playing baseball and
competes on academic and math teams. During the summer Tim spends his time
taking Duke University TIP courses or attending baseball camps. He is a huge fan of the St. Louis Cardinals
and has a dream of attending at least one game at every baseball stadium in
America. Tim has given over 5000 hours towards the two projects in the
last 6 years. Tim is a recipient of the President's Call to Service
Lifetime Volunteer Award.
Sarah is in the
5th grade at
Northwood Elementary School. Sarah loves doing arts and crafts in her
spare time and is a big fan of Toontown!
Marcus Chambers, Board of Directors, Chairman
(Longwood Elementary Principal)
