"Operation Ride Home" Sends Hundreds of Service Members and Families Home for the Holidays

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Going home for the holidays is a huge morale boost for our nation’s enlisted service members, who may not be able to afford the cost of a plane ticket...

Springfield, VA (PRWEB) December 24, 2013

More than 350 enlisted service members will make it home for the holidays this year, thanks to “Operation Ride Home.” The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) just announced the tally for this year’s program – that was kicked off with a $100,000 donation from Jack Daniel’s. “Operation Ride Home” purchased plane tickets and pre-paid debit cards to help a total of 729 individuals, including junior-enlisted service members and their dependents, travel to their homes across the country for the holidays this season. Most are travelling now through mid-January.

Over the last three years, “Operation Ride Home” has helped a grand total of 1,173 service members get home. A total of 2,769 individuals, including families of the service members, have traveled from their military bases to their homes under this program. Troops from every branch of service have received the assistance, travelling to 44 of the 50 states.

The ASYMCA and Jack Daniel’s are encouraging others to donate to the program at http://www.jdoperationridehome.com. Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA), a top-rated nationwide charity that provides low or no-cost programs to our nation’s military, administers the program. They work with military commands across the country to identify those junior-enlisted service members and families in most need of the financial assistance.

The program awards vouchers for plane tickets or pre-paid debit cards to help with gas, lodging and food for service members and dependents based on need and individual circumstances.

“Going home for the holidays is a huge morale boost for our nation’s enlisted service members, who may not be able to afford the cost of a plane ticket, or the gas to travel to their families. We’re grateful to Jack Daniels, for helping the ASYMCA give this gift to so many service people in 2013, and we hope we can help even more in 2014,” said Capt. Mike Landers USN (Ret), CEO of the ASYMCA.

“For the past two years, we have seen a tremendous outpouring of support to help our nation’s heroes and their families make it home for the holidays,” said Phil Epps, Group Brand Director for Jack Daniel’s. “Every donation, no matter how big or small, helps us reunite these families over the holiday season. For those troops who haven’t seen their families for years, or grandparents who haven’t seen their new grandchildren, there can be no greater present. That’s what Operation Ride Home is all about.”

Some interviews and b-roll opportunities with service members using Operation Ride Home in your area may be available upon request.

Please visit http://www.jdoperationridehomemedia.com for hi-res photos and broadcast quality video of the ORH campaign.

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About Jack Daniel’s

Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866 and based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow, proprietor, is the oldest registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jack Daniel’s is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey-Based Ready-to-Drink Beverages and Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails.

Jack Daniel’s encourages its friends to drink responsibly.

About the Armed Services YMCA

The non-profit Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) provides no and low-cost programs to make military life easier for nearly 500,000 active-duty enlisted military and their families each year at 31 branches and affiliates nationwide. Innovative, direct services are tailored to the needs of local military installations nationwide with the help of 13,000 volunteers in addition to community and military support. The ASYMCA was rated in the top 2% of charities nationwide by Charity Navigator in 2012. Of the 1.2M Active Duty military stationed in the US, approximately 82% are located where the ASYMCA has a Branch or Affiliate nearby to help make military life easier. The ASYMCA does not receive government funding, and does not charge dues or membership fees for their programs. Your tax deductible donation (Tax ID #36-3274346) to the ASYMCA, a top-rated non-profit, will make a significant difference impact on the lives of enlisted service members and their families. Please visit asymca.org to learn more.

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