Published in the summer 2011 issue of MyLIFE magazine
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHAD KOERBER
HEARTS TO HEROES
Charity organization Packages From Home holds its annual Hearts to Heroes Motorcycle Ride and Poker Run events in April every year.
The nonprofit business was founded by Kathleen Lewis, whose son, Christian, a soldier with the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division, was deployed to Iraq in March 2004. She began sending care packages to him on a regular basis. When Christian called to thank her, she discovered that he was the only soldier in his squad receiving any packages from home. It was then that Kathleen decided to adopt Christian’s squad—with the help of friends—and began shipping packages to the men in his unit.
Packages from Home is now one of the organizations listed and recognized by the Department of Defense for sending care packages in support of our troops.
You can help Packages from Home by donating items such as food, hygiene necessities and recreational items. For more information, visit packagesfromhome.org.
UNITED WE DRIVE
The ECCO Cannonball Run is held in March in support of Operation Homefront, which provides assistance for our nation’s wounded warriors.
The race is based on the Cannonball Run movies from the 1980s and encourages participants to play any role from those movies—or other automobile-related movies or television shows.
The competition spree runs through three major Arizona cities. Total mileage ranges from 200 to 225 miles, which takes approximately four to five hours of driving time with checkpoint stops along the way. If you’re interested in participating in the ECCO Cannonball Run alongside other car enthusiasts, visit tourecco.com.