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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
Announcing the 2007 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 12 years old and attends Longwood
Elementary School. Bailey has been helping her siblings Erica and Tim put
together packages for U.S. soldiers since she was in kindergarten! In 2003,
after seeing some soldiers working at a hurricane relief point getting griped at
by the people they were there to help, Bailey decided she wanted to be sure
every soldier always knew someone was thinking of them and appreciated their
commitment.
Bailey's classmates have been a big help with Hero Hugs and have made thousands
of
cards for packages put together by Bailey and her team. When she is not working on packages
for the soldiers, Bailey enjoys cheerleading, riding her bike, swimming and playing with
her three dogs. 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. To date, Bailey has logged over
4000 community service hours
sending care packages to soldiers and helping make life better for children in
Iraq. 
Angela
is 11 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 junior 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 16 and in the 11th grade at Okaloosa-Walton Collegiate High School and Niceville Senior High School. Tim is
the leading force behind Operation Iraqi Friendship and also helps his little
sister Bailey with Hero Hugs. Tim plans to attend the Air Force Academy with the hopes of
being a fighter pilot. 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 sports camp at the USAF
Academy in Colorado Springs. 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 4500 hours towards the two projects in the
last 4 years.
Sarah is in the 4th 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)
