FAIRHAVEN, Mass., Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Our Heroes' Tree, a national initiative to show appreciation for U.S. service members and their families, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Program co-founders Stephanie Pickup and Marlene Lee encourage individuals of all ages, groups, and companies to participate in Our Heroes' Tree events, and discover and celebrate the names and stories of family members, friends, neighbors, and others who have served or are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
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The 10th annual Planning Guide for Our Heroes' Tree is now available with new templates for ornaments, plus handy checklists and creative ideas from program participants around the country. Download the Planning Guide from the website for Our Heroes' Tree: ourheroestree.com – the website has also been refreshed, including an article authored by Lee.
"I Don't Know What to Say: Supporting Someone Who Is Grieving," is the title of Lee's article. Lee holds a master's degree in thanatology—the study of death, dying, and bereavement—and while her previous publications focused on the military-connected community, including her book The Hero in My Pocket, this particular article is for the general public. Lee interviewed more than a dozen people who experienced the death of a loved one and prominently features interviewees' direct quotations throughout the article. The article is now available via the website ourheroestree.com.
For Our Heroes' Tree, Pickup explains, "Thousands of ornaments have been created. Yet each and every ornament is a chance to tell an individual's story, from the preschoolers' sprawling artwork on construction paper to the octogenarians' World War II ribbon motif."
Pickup and Lee began Our Heroes' Tree in 2005 with one tree at the Army Family Services building at the United States Military Academy at West Point. In the 10 years since, the program has expanded to more than 30 states plus U.S. military bases in 10 countries overseas, thanks to the interest and engagement of a wide variety of people and organizations. Participants are invited to share ideas via Pinterest (Our Heroes' Tree Program) and Facebook (Our Heroes' Tree Program).
From October 1 through November 30, proceeds from sales of Pickup and Lee's e-book, aptly titled Our Heroes' Tree, will be donated to a charity which will be announced in October. The e-book is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, the Apple iBooks Store, and MilitaryFamilyBooks.com.
ABOUT OUR HEROES' TREE®
Stephanie Pickup and Marlene Lee co-founded Our Heroes' Tree® in 2005, a national initiative that bridges military and civilian communities by honoring the service and sacrifice of U.S. service members and their families. Pickup is the author of The Soldier's Tree, and Lee is the author of The Hero in My Pocket and co-author of That's My Hope. They are the co-authors of Our Heroes' Tree e-book. Books available via Amazon.com and other online retailers and wholesalers.
Our Heroes' Tree
CONTACT: Stephanie Pickup, Co-founder, Our Heroes' Tree
Phone: 508-517-3797
Email