Karen Stark – Honoring Our Troops

Edmond, OK

The Hugs Project

My husband and I met because I wrote an “Any Service Member” letter in support of troops during Operation Desert Shield. Ray, who was a sailor aboard the USS Independence at the time, pulled it out of a stack. Now we are both supporting America’s finest through The Hugs Project, which we founded in May 2004.

Since that time, The Hugs Project has sent more than 395 tons of care package items and more than 1 million cooling ties to U.S. Troops overseas. The cooling ties, nicknamed “hugs” because they are worn around the neck, can be lifesavers, helping soldiers avoid heat stroke in areas where temperatures can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Our small project has grown into a worldwide group with thousands of members who send homemade items and care packages with one mission – to let every American serving in harm’s way know that they are loved and appreciated and that they’re not forgotten.