Operation Help a Hero Christmas Project Fundraiser 2024

[John Morris]

 

 

Introduction

It's that time of year again folks! And it's time for us to step up to the plate and support the men and women and families who put it all on the line to keep our nation safe, the men and women of our Armed Forces!

We are very thankful that we are able to team up with Operation Help a Hero. In the past we have teamed up with Operation Ward 57 but they had to fold up their operations. So we are switching gears and teaming up with Operation Help a Hero.

 

Our Goal

This year, we will be doing the usual raffle, with 100% of the proceeds going to a Warrior Family for their Christmas! Through the application process, we have been teamed up with a deployed warrior and his/her family. They are expected back around Christmas time, so lining up a gift exchange will be difficult, so instead what Operation Help a Hero is going to do, they are going to hand deliver a "BIG OL FAT GIFT CARD" from us, to them! They will be able to use the proceeds we collect here, as they see fit for their Christmas. We are very happy to help a deployed family in this manner.

Once the gift card is delivered, our Christmas family would like to send us a Thank You card, so that'll be fun to share with you all once we receive it. This is very exciting.

 

How this works

If you donate $2.00 to our fundraiser, your name will be entered into our random draw 1 times.

If you donate $5.00 to our fundraiser project, your name will be entered into our random draw 3 times.

If you donate $10.00 to our fundraiser project, your name will be entered into our random draw 7 times.

The more you donate, the more chance you have of winning.

The project will start on November 24, 2024 and end on January 3, 2025 when the names will be drawn to receive the fabulous items donated by our sponsors.

 

Donation amounts and number of entries

• $2.00 enters your name 1 times
• $5.00 enters your name 3 times
• $10.00 enters your name 7 times
• $20.00 enters your name 15 times
• $50.00 enters your name 50 times
• $75.00 enters your name 80 times
• $100.00 enters your name 110 times

 

Enter the drawing

Click on the "DONATE" button!

Fill in your billing info at the secured PayPal server (we do not have access to your credit or debit card details, and you do not need a PayPal account), and you're done, and good luck!

 

Drawing

Items will be assigned to the winners drawn in the following order.

 

Offered by our friends at Woodcraft

1ea Woodriver No. 4 1/2 Smoothing Plane $230

1ea Woodriver Table Saw Tenoning Jig $190

 

Offered by our friends at Easy Wood Tools

1ea. Wire Burning Kit $54 

1ea. Yorkshire Grit Original and Micro Fine $19

1ea. Yorkshire Grit Original and Micro Fine $19

 

 

Mr. Sawdust

In addition to our sponsors, we'd love to thank our friend David Walsh for contributing his goods and wears for the purpose of raising funds for this annual traditional fundraiser. We are very happy to have David aboard with us for this event, and we are very grateful. Mr. Walsh has a wonderful legacy of woodworking tradition that goes way back in his family. And he is carrying that tradition forward in his own life, and he is making a difference in this campaign of ours, by helping us, help the men and women in our Armed Forces. Thank you Mr. Walsh!

 

Mr. Sawdust Links of Interest

• Mr Sawdust website
• Mr Sawdust Shop website
• Mr. Sawdust YouTube
• Mr. Sawdust Facebook
• Mr. Sawdust Instagram

 

 

Offered by our friend David Walsh (Mr. Sawdust)

Carved Shop Sign

A simple, classic one-color carved wood emblem sign. Your choice of one of these fine, old designs: Delta (Red), Walker-Turner (Black), Rockwell (Black)

Value: $100

 

Vintage Machinery Print Set

Your choice of any five vintage machinery art prints from the Mr. Sawdust Print Shop.

Value: $80

 

Vintage Machinery Emblem Tee

Your choice of any vintage machinery shirt from the Mr. Sawdust clothing line.

Value: $35

 

Master the Radial Arm Saw (Book)

We’ll send you your own copy of the only book you need if you own a radial arm saw. Turn an old DeWalt into a precision instrument — with over 400 detailed drawings & illustrations.

Value: $38

 

Rules

• Fundraiser starts November 24, 2024 and ends January 3, 2025.
• Everyone (guests, members, forum staff, and admins) is welcome to enter, except the owner of this website (John Morris) and his relatives, and their immediate relatives.
• Sorry, but only residents who reside in The United States/Alaska and Canada are eligible to participate. However, if you live offshore you can still donate to this project for our Warrior Families Christmas, but you won't be able to receive awards because of high shipping costs.
• Last but not least, have fun! And thank you for your support!

 

Alternative Method for Contributing

Some of us don't like using our credit card for things like this, that's ok, you can send a check for this project, and we'll enter your name into the hat for the draw!

 

Make check payable to:

The Patriot Woodworker

and send to:

The Patriot Woodworker

977 Sussex Rd

San Jacinto CA. 92583

 

In closing

Our entire community would love to thank our contributing sponsors. Woodcraft and Easy Wood Tools. They are staunch supporters of our woodworking community and most importantly, the men and women who serve our nation in the Armed Forces..

 

And please join us in welcoming David Walsh (Mr. Sawdust) to our fundraiser, we are very happy to have him and his legacy of woodworking tradition with us, supporting our men and women who serve our nation.

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pauley]

Thanks John for all you do.  Just made my donation. 
God bless.

[John Morris]

Just now, Pauley said:

Thanks John for all you do.  Just made my donation. 
God bless.

Thank you Pauley!!!! Thank you for your service sir!

[Gordon]

Thanks John, made my contribution, I hope you received many more.

[PeteM]

While the cash is nice, almost as good is the thought that others care.  I remember spending a Thanksgiving in the barracks, my only companions 3 other EMs, getting drunker by the minute.

[John Morris]

45 minutes ago, Gordon said:

Thanks John, made my contribution, I hope you received many more.

Thank you for your support Gordon!!!

[John Morris]

30 minutes ago, PeteM said:

my only companions 3 other EMs, getting drunker by the minute.

Been there done that Pete! I remember the lonely Holidays oversees too. Also remember a few fun ones

Thank you for your support Pete!

[John Morris]

As a reminder, all donors will receive a confirmation email regarding their raffle entries. Thank you once again

[Al B]

I'm in John.  Sent my donation today.

[Artie]

Did our usual, Thank you for doing this John!

[John Morris]

Thank you gents!!!!

[John Morris]

Current balance is $911.51 folks! Keep up the great work!

[John Morris]

Dear folks, this operation has been a tad different than prior years, typically we'd have an adopted family that we do our Christmas for. We have pictures, names and service history etc.

With Operation Help a Hero, the families are kept mainly private. Actually, with Operation Ward 57 the rules were the families ID is private as well, but we were connected enough that I could ask the family if it was ok to highlite them here in our community with names, images, history etc, and most of them agreed.

But again, with Operation Help a Hero, the families ID's are kept private, and actually that is more in line with how this all should work if you ask me.

 

Given that, once we reached the thousand dollar mark, I contacted Cindy Farnum (organizer) again to let her know we are ready to send some funds. So last night she notified us that a Marine family having a challenging time could sure use our help.

 

Please see quoted email exchange below, she is apologizing because I notified her days ago we had the funds ready, but she is obviously very busy and that is perfectly ok, I knew she'd get back with us.

 

Quote

On Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 9:28 AM John Morris <johnmorris@thepatriotwoodworker.com> wrote:

Good morning Cindy, anytime you can take a gift card we are ready, we broke the $1000.00 goal and we can get a gift card out to our adopted warrior family whom ever it is at this point

We'll keep collecting funds through January 3rd and we'll also send a second gift card for their New Year. Please let me know how we can fit in to your goals at this time.

Thanks for all your patience with us as we work through our first time working with your wonderful organization.

Sincerely

John Morris and The Patriot Woodworkers

==================================================================================

 

On 12/20/2024 5:04 PM, Cindy Farnum wrote:

John! 

I’m so sorry! 

I was knee deep in drop offs in several locations and tying up loose ends here in CA. In all the hustle and bustle, I never hit send and this was sitting in my draft folder! 

 

John,

I have a question for you. We have a young Marine Corps infantry family at Camp Pendleton Marin Corp San Diego, whose baby has been in the NICU an hour away from their home for months now. Their unit asked us to help and we’ve been at the ready, but they have yet to fill out a wish list. 

 

On Sunday, I reengaged his unit and discovered that their baby had yet another surgery last week, so they’ve barely been home. They were candid with me and let me know they are struggling after months of commute, food away from home and mom unable to work. They also have another child (I believe a 4 year old boy) so they’ve had to hire sitters and fly in family when they’ve been able). Our conversation has led me to believe that they are more in need of financial and/or gift card help to take financial strain off of their already full plates.

 

As mentioned, I don’t have a wish list for them, but my plan is to zelle them some funds tomorrow and FedEx them gift cards. Might this be a family you would like to support?

Thanks!

Cindy

 

So this morning with my wife's help, we figured out how to get $1000.00 from The Patriot Woodworker account, into the Zelle money app, and transferred to Cindy to be given to the Marine family in need.

I am very proud of all of you, thank you for your contributions to this very worthy project, this Marine family will have some breathing room due to all your efforts donating the funds to our Christmas Project.

 

Please keep in mind, this project goes up to January 3, and any funds collected from here on out, will be given to the same family as a New Year gift. So we are back down to about 100 bucks in our account after the 1000.00 dollar distribution this morning, if you all feel like double dipping to help get that family some more help for the New Year, any and all help is greatly appreciated!

 

Also, here are some cell phone text messages that went back n forth between Cindy and myself this morning.

 

 

 

 

[Pauley]

Thank you, John for everything you do.  The world would be a much better place if we had more people like you and the others here at Patriot Woodworkers. God Bless you.  I just made another donation.

[John Morris]

Dear Patriot Woodworkers and guests.

The drawing takes place today! Please check back in for the winners announcement! 

 

Thank you all for your support. The preliminary total is 1750.00.

 

1000 was sent to the family before Christmas and well get the rest of the funds distributed to them this weekend. 

 

Thank you all!

[honesttjohn]

Yay us!!!!

[John Morris]

2 hours ago, honesttjohn said:

Yay us!!!!

Ya'll did a wonderful job John! So proud of our community here!

 

Names to be announced today, sorry for the delay.

[John Morris]

Please congratulate the raffle prize winners below!

Thank you all for your hard work and funds donated to this very worthy cause. We are very proud of our Patriot Woodworkers and fans who donated and made a difference in our adopted USMC families life. I'll be sending the remaining funds over today, which total $792.58. So in total you all raised $1792.58 to help this family going through some challenging times, to hopefully lighten the load on their finances this Christmas and New Years, thank you all!

 

Prize Recipients

Please message myself your shipping information so I can contact our sponsors and get your items out asap!

Contact me here at @John Morris and send me a message.

Or by email

community@thepatriotwoodworker.com

 

And we will never forget our sponsors who make this all happen.

Thank you Easy Wood Tools and Woodcraft Supply and @David Walsh of Mr. Saw Dust fame for your hard worked contributions to this worthy project. For without them there would be no fundraiser, thank you guys!

 

 

 

 

Offered by our friends at Woodcraft

1ea Woodriver No. 4 1/2 Smoothing Plane $230 - Peter Tomlinson

1ea Woodriver Table Saw Tenoning Jig $190 - Robert Prochak

 

Offered by our friends at Easy Wood Tools

1ea. Wire Burning Kit $54 - Paul Bylin

1ea. Yorkshire Grit Original and Micro Fine $19 - Steve Krumanaker

1ea. Yorkshire Grit Original and Micro Fine $19 - James Milavec

 

Offered by our friend David Walsh (Mr. Sawdust)

Carved Shop Sign - Jaime Guerrero

A simple, classic one-color carved wood emblem sign. Your choice of one of these fine, old designs: Delta (Red), Walker-Turner (Black), Rockwell (Black)

Value: $100

 

Vintage Machinery Print Set - Raymond Fischer

Your choice of any five vintage machinery art prints from the Mr. Sawdust Print Shop.

Value: $80

 

Vintage Machinery Emblem Tee - Mohammad Mani

Your choice of any vintage machinery shirt from the Mr. Sawdust clothing line.

Value: $35

 

Master the Radial Arm Saw (Book) - Fred Hargis

We’ll send you your own copy of the only book you need if you own a radial arm saw. Turn an old DeWalt into a precision instrument — with over 400 detailed drawings & illustrations.

Value: $38

[HandyDan]

Congrats to all the donors and the winners.

[Ron Dudelston]

As always, the true winners are our recipient veterans!