Fort Bliss Monitor

Fort Bliss presented first 400,000+ minutes in Million Minute March

Master Sgt. Steve Miller
Public Affairs Chief

After dumping the phone cards on the table, KLAQ representatives sort through some of the more than 400,000 phone card minutes they raised and presented to Fort Bliss.

You’re deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo or some other hotspot in the world. What’s the thing you would most like to do?

It’s calling home more without breaking your budget, according to the majority of troops currently deployed.
To that end, organizers of the Million Minute March have spent the past two months collecting cash and phone cards so U.S. military personnel stationed abroad can call home to friends and family. The first installment of their effort to date – totaling 400,522 minutes – was presented Oct. 14 to Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Col. Bryon Greenwald at the Main Exchange.

“This is awesome. I served in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia a few years ago, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that calling home and being in touch with loved ones is so very important to troop morale,” Greenwald said upon accepting the minutes from representatives of radio station KLAQ and other event organizers. “This is another indication of how this town is wrapping its arms around Fort Bliss.”

Post officials are mailing the cards to deployed troops in time for the holiday season. Organizers say they will continue to collect phone cards and cash donations through various events until they raise one million phone card minutes. Many other El Paso businesses have joined KLAQ, including KVIA-TV 7, The El Paso Times, the University of Texas at El Paso, Clear Channel Outdoor, Fort Bliss Federal Credit Union, Albertson’s, Hoy-Fox Volkswagen and others.

“Everyone wanted to do something to support our troops for protecting the freedoms we enjoy every day,” said Courtney Nelson, KLAQ program director. “We would like our troops to come home, but if they can’t be home, let’s let them call home.”

Many local children and adults have enclosed notes with the phone cards wishing the troops well, organizers say. KLAQ morning disc jockey Teresa Provencio said some school children have also written the troops letters, which will be shipped with the phone cards.

“We were collecting cards and donations at UTEP’s home opener on September 11, and calling out to people about the Million Minute March. People didn’t know what it was, and things were going slow, but as soon we yelled, ‘Help a Soldier call home,’ we were bombarded – no pun intended – with cards and cash,” said Kat Tyler, morning DJ for KLAQ.

FBFCU has been the biggest single donor to date, Nelson noted, collecting 34,000 minutes in phone cards and cash at its various branches around town.

Also aiding the effort have been Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials at Fort Bliss. AAFES General Manager Ted Wulff said his organization has negotiated with AT&T to give the troops the maximum amount of minutes for the money being raised. He also said there is a drop box in the main store for those who still wish to donate phone cards or cash toward the Million Minute March.

For information about the MMM, 544-8864.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	October 21, 2004

<map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	Fort Bliss presented first 400,000+ minutes in Million Minute March Master Sgt. Steve Miller Public Affairs Chief After dumping the phone cards on the table, KLAQ representatives sort through some of the more than 400,000 phone card minutes they raised and presented to Fort Bliss. You’re deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo or some other hotspot in the world. What’s the thing you would most like to do? It’s calling home more without breaking your budget, according to the majority of troops currently deployed. To that end, organizers of the Million Minute March have spent the past two months collecting cash and phone cards so U.S. military personnel stationed abroad can call home to friends and family. The first installment of their effort to date – totaling 400,522 minutes – was presented Oct. 14 to Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Col. Bryon Greenwald at the Main Exchange. “This is awesome. I served in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia a few years ago, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that calling home and being in touch with loved ones is so very important to troop morale,” Greenwald said upon accepting the minutes from representatives of radio station KLAQ and other event organizers. “This is another indication of how this town is wrapping its arms around Fort Bliss.” Post officials are mailing the cards to deployed troops in time for the holiday season. Organizers say they will continue to collect phone cards and cash donations through various events until they raise one million phone card minutes. Many other El Paso businesses have joined KLAQ, including KVIA-TV 7, The El Paso Times, the University of Texas at El Paso, Clear Channel Outdoor, Fort Bliss Federal Credit Union, Albertson’s, Hoy-Fox Volkswagen and others. “Everyone wanted to do something to support our troops for protecting the freedoms we enjoy every day,” said Courtney Nelson, KLAQ program director. “We would like our troops to come home, but if they can’t be home, let’s let them call home.” Many local children and adults have enclosed notes with the phone cards wishing the troops well, organizers say. KLAQ morning disc jockey Teresa Provencio said some school children have also written the troops letters, which will be shipped with the phone cards. “We were collecting cards and donations at UTEP’s home opener on September 11, and calling out to people about the Million Minute March. People didn’t know what it was, and things were going slow, but as soon we yelled, ‘Help a Soldier call home,’ we were bombarded – no pun intended – with cards and cash,” said Kat Tyler, morning DJ for KLAQ. FBFCU has been the biggest single donor to date, Nelson noted, collecting 34,000 minutes in phone cards and cash at its various branches around town. Also aiding the effort have been Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials at Fort Bliss. AAFES General Manager Ted Wulff said his organization has negotiated with AT&T to give the troops the maximum amount of minutes for the money being raised. He also said there is a drop box in the main store for those who still wish to donate phone cards or cash toward the Million Minute March. For information about the MMM, 544-8864.