Last Sunday, Shannon Brown, Josh Powell, Laker Girls and Laker employees participated in the Lakers Team Up program by joining the volunteers of Operation Gratitude to assemble holiday care packages for U.S. troops. Operation Gratitude is a volunteer, non-profit organization that seeks to lift morale by sending care packages addressed to individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed overseas. On the day of the Lakers visit, Operation Gratitude assembled 9,000 care packages and they anticipate sending nearly 60,000 care packages over the next two months!

Operation Gratitude’s work and dedication was truly a sight to behold. The using only picnic tables, mail bins, and box taping machines, the volunteers worked tirelessly in an efficient assembly line. Each box was constructed, filled, sealed, addressed and loaded into a US mail freight box, for delivery overseas. Each care package contains $150-$200 worth of products much desired by the troops, such as magazines, DVDs/CDs, sunscreen, Chapstick, energy drinks, snacks, clothing and a hand-written personal letter of appreciation.

The afternoon was a time for the Lakers organization and the Operation Gratitude volunteers, many of whom are veterans or have loved ones serving overseas, to show our troops that their sacrifice is appreciated. If you would like to learn more about Operation Gratitude and assist in their Letters to Heroes campaign, please visit: http://www.opgratitude.com/