Christmas Cards for Soldiers

Please send email with correct information.

I just received an email for the second year in a row about sending Christmas cards to injured American soldiers. And while I think this is a terrific idea, unfortunately the information in the mass email is WRONG! If you send a card directly to Walter Reed Army Medical Center it will be returned unopened. The American Red Cross actually handles the card campaign because the cards have to go through a brief screening process. The correct information is as follows...

Please send cards to this address, following the guidelines listed below:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Card Guidelines

Please follow these guidelines when mailing a card to ensure that your card will quickly reach service members, veterans and their families. Every card received will first be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working in one of 16 sorting stations around the country.

• All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender.
• Please ensure that all cards are signed.
• Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process.
• Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
• Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
• Participants should limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group.
• All cards received may be used in program publicity efforts, including appearing in broadcast, print or online mediums.
• For more information go to www.redcross.org/holidaymail

So if you receive the email that's going around that says to send cards directly to Walter Reed Army Medical Center PLEASE take a few moments to send the correct information.

Thank you!