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Kansas City, MO, Jan. 7, 2005--State Farm Insurance (South Central Region) is helping military members call home thanks to a $63,755 donation to Operation Uplink, the Veterans of Foreign Wars' free phone card program for active-duty military and hospitalized veterans. The donation, which was presented to the VFW January 7, will help the VFW provide approximately 8,400 international phone cards to deployed troops.
"State Farm's tremendous support of VFW's Operation Uplink is very much appreciated," said John J. Senk Jr., VFW adjutant general. "Their generosity demonstrates that State Farm understands how important it is for our active-duty military, their families and members of the Guard and the Reserve to maintain that phone connection with loved ones. State Farm's efforts help the VFW to continue this important program for those who deserve it most."
To raise the money, State Farm Insurance agents in Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee sold 12,755 life insurance policies during a two-month campaign in conjunction with Life Awareness Month, which began September 1. The South Central Region agents donated $5 per life insurance application to Operation Uplink.
The idea for focusing the fall campaign on supporting the military came from Cindy Rowland, zone sales manager for financial services in MidAmerica. At each of the Life Road shows across the region, agents gave out T-shirts reading "MidAmerica says thank you to our service men and women for risking their lives to protect our every day way of living."
"We are proud to make this contribution to Operation Uplink to help our service men and women who put their lives on the line every day contact loved ones back home," said Lee Baumann, senior vice president of State Farm's Mid-American Zone. "By making this donation, we are saying 'thank you' for their service."
State Farm is one of the nation's biggest sponsors of women in sports and educational programs. Besides participation in national charity events, the South Central Region State Farm agents volunteer in community blood drives, promote the achievements of minority students in the Louisville area and annually participates in "Make a Difference Day" and "America Reads."
The VFW assists veterans and their families obtain veterans' entitlements and other services and works for the well being of those serving on active duty, in the National Guard and in the Reserves. Since Operation Uplink was launched in 1996, more than 7 million phone cards have been distributed.
--Gloria Montgomery, VFW Communications
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