Proud to be a member of the America Supports You Team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2005
Contact: Lisa Frederick, USO-Metro
(703) 696-3278
Lisa.Frederick@fmmc.army.mil
The USO of Metropolitan Washington Joins the America Supports You Team
Washington, DC- The USO of Metropolitan Washington (USO-Metro) is joining forces with the Department of Defense’s America Supports You program, an ongoing nationwide program that showcases and communicates America’s support to the men and women of the Armed Forces. The missions of USO-Metro and the America Supports You program parallel each other; while USO-Metro strives to enhance the quality of life of our men and women in uniform, America Supports You endeavors to spread the word about the amazing support provided by organizations like USO-Metro.
USO-Metro launched its participation by including America Supports You in the five-year anniversary celebration of the USO Gateway Lounge at Baltimore/Washington International Airport on Tuesday, May 24. The event was attended by military, civic and corporate leaders, as well as other dignitaries. Daniel Rodriguez, America’s Beloved Tenor, performed for the crowd. Through the generous support of the state of Maryland, BWI airport, and USO-Metro corporate partners, this facility has been available to hundreds of thousands of military travelers since its opening in December of 1999.
"By joining the America Supports You team, USO-Metro will have even more resources available to serve our military men and women who serve us so well," said Elaine Rogers, President of USO-Metro. "It is truly wonderful to be able to join forces and unite in our support of the troops."
Allison Barber, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, said, "We are thrilled that the USO of Metropolitan Washington is joining the America Supports You team. We look forward to working together to ensure the message that America Supports You reaches all our troops and their families through the programs and services USO-Metro provides."
About America Supports You
Since the launch of the America Supports You program last November, over 1.8 million Americans, including individual citizens, businesses and organizations, have logged onto the AmericaSupportsYou.mil website to register the activities and projects in their communities that show their support for America’s Armed Forces, especially those serving in harm’s way. Every person who registers on the site will receive an America Supports You dog tag to wear as a visible sign of support. The America Supports You dog tags feature the program logo on a military style dog tag. On average, 700 people a day are signing up to receive the America Supports You dog tag.
About USO-Metro
The USO of Metropolitan Washington (USO-Metro) is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is "to serve those who serve...and their families: from Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD to Richmond, VA. The USO of Metropolitan Washington receives no federal, state or local funding. The generous support of the local community and businesses enables us to provide many free services to the military to enhance their quality of life. On a daily basis, USO Metro provides vital human services and programs, such as emergency housing, food assistance, and information programs. USO-Metro also USO-Metro provides emergency housing, phone cards, taxi vouchers, and food assistance to wounded servicemen and women and their family members at area military medical centers. As the patients recover, USO-Metro arranges excursions outside the hospital to activities such as local sporting events and concerts. For the patients who are not able to leave the hospital walls, USO-Metro arranges celebrity handshake tours to boost the morale of these patients, as well as concerts and events on hospital grounds.
FOR AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU:
Michelle Shortencarrier
202-408-0808 mshortencarrier@susandavis.com
