Navy League keeps good deeds going: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The July 13 South Florida Sun-Sentinel included an article, "Booking the fleet." It was a story of two local residents, members of the Broward County Navy League, who set up in front of a local Wal-Mart to raise funds in support of the troops.

They used books donated by local libraries, used bookstores, friends and neighbors, and asked shoppers to make a donation in exchange for a book. Money collected was used to purchase prepaid phone cards for three different Marine Expeditionary Units stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Books were also delivered to these units as well as to a variety of Navy ships up and down the East Coast. Portable DVD players were delivered to Walter Reed and Bethesda medical centers for use by the troops undergoing rehabilitation.

As a direct result of that article, readers started calling and offering additional books. A portion of these new books was used to raise funds to purchase a bookcase for the Coast Guard Station in Fort Lauderdale, and with the addition of some 150 books, a mini-library was established.

At a recent board meeting, the Navy League agreed to match two $500 donations coming from this book project, making it possible to send a $1,000 donation to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund (monies used to provide financial assistance to family members of wounded Marines and sailors) and a $1,000 donation to the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund (monies used to provide scholarships to children of Marines killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom).

The book project is continuing and from money currently being raised a donation will be made to a South Florida Navy and Marine Reserve Center. This donation will offset the cost of a Marine Corps Ball celebrating the birthday of this fine military organization. In attendance will be Marines attached to this center who have been deployed as peacekeepers in various locations and who have served in different capacities in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Subscribe today to the Sun-Sentinel
and find out how to get one week extra!
Click here or call 1-877-READ-SUN.