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For Immediate Release Contact: Denise Robert TallGrass Spa inspires community to come together Diverse groups rally in support of troops At this time of year, folks in the Colorado town of Evergreen come together in support of Americans who are far away from home at holiday time. They are inspired by TallGrass Spa's Soldier Box Project which extends tangible messages of caring from a Rocky Mountain foothills community 20 miles west of Denver to military facilities half a world away. Sending care packages to soldiers deployed in the Middle East is their way of letting troops know they are not forgotten during the holidays. Collecting personal care items and small gifts, making donations to cover shipping, writing cards and letters, and saving the date to be on hand for packing and shipping are individuals and groups as diverse as service clubs, residents of assisted living facilities, elementary school students, a mentorship program, crafters who sew and knit, dentists with caches of sample-sized toothpaste, spa staff and spa guests. Even the local postmaster has gotten into the act, arriving at packing day with a truck to carry away the gift-filled flat rate boxes and prepare them for shipments that will arrive overseas at holiday time. The list of items that are now being collected for the TallGrass Soldier Box Project can include travel size toiletries, combs and brushes, razors, lip balm, toothpaste and toothbrushes, personal hygiene wipes, feminine products, playing cards, heat packs for hands and feet, and sand-colored/camo-colored caps, gloves, and socks, along with the personal notes and holiday cards that are so valued by service members. The two Evergreen locations accepting donations are TallGrass Spa at 997 Upper Bear Creek Road and The Wild Game Entertainment at 1204 Bergen Parkway. Packing day is November 15 at The Wild Game. Community participation "With our theme being military appreciation, club members have a lot of passion for this project," says Kim Agnew program director of Mountain Community Pathways' Action Club in Evergreen. A community service group of developmentally disabled adults, the 13 club members have voted for the past four years to be involved in the TallGrass Soldier Box Project and they organize participation around three club events – shopping day, card writing day, and packing day. Seventeen pairs of mentees and mentors at the Clear Creek Rock House in Idaho Springs are soliciting donations, packing boxes and writing letters to soldiers. The program, designed to create a safe, supervised place for kids in grades 6 to 12, teaches life skills and the value of a greater purpose in life. Recruited to the project by TallGrass staffer Katie Lein, herself a Rock House mentor, the group is rounding up art supplies for card making and letter writing. "It's a very big deal for us," says Deborah Bautista, Mentor Coordinator. "We want to promote the importance of giving back with our mentees." Gail Sharp, TallGrass owner, reports that some of her fellow Rotarians sew drawstring bags and fill them with gifts for soldiers. The Rotary Club of Evergreen moves its monthly meeting to The Wild Game early on the morning of packing day, this year on November 15, and afterwards everyone rallies to help get the boxes packed and stacked, all set for the trip to the post office. "It's an amazing effort," says Ms. Sharp. "We start at about 8:30 and have it all wrapped up by 10." At TallGrass's annual Holiday Open House on November 7, active duty service members are scheduled to be on hand to visit with guests and let them know about the importance of writing holiday cards and messages to men and women service members stationed overseas. Messages of holiday good wishes and gratitude will be included in the upcoming shipment. TallGrass Soldier Box background The TallGrass Soldier Box Project began 10 years ago, when staff member Deb Dickinson personally filled and shipped half a dozen care packages to troops in Afghanistan. Her spirit of giving caught on and, with the enthusiastic support of TallGrass management, staff, guests, and then neighbors, service clubs, and elementary school students, it morphed into a project that sent 257 packages for the 2018 holiday. Ms. Dickinson is still at the helm. "The TallGrass Soldier Box Project is not just about support from mountain communities," says TallGrass owner Gail Sharp. "Everyone who wants to say 'Thank you for your service' is welcome to join us. Soldiers tell us that personal notes, cards, and letters are the most precious items in every box." Cards and letters can be forwarded to TallGrass for inclusion in the upcoming holiday shipment. For more information about participating in the TallGrass Soldier Box Project, please visit TallGrassSpa.com or call 303-670-4444. The deadline for receipt of donations of items, cash, and holiday cards is November 14. About TallGrass Spa and Salon Celebrating its 24th anniversary in 2019, TallGrass is a full service spa and salon offering massage, skin care, body, nail, and hair care services, along with catered lunches and boutique shopping. It is located in a peaceful mountain meadow beneath majestic Mt. Evans in the Colorado foothills about 45 minutes from Denver. Media Advisory / Photo Op Timeline Nov 5 – 5 pm – Mentees and mentors at Clear Creek Rock House fill soldier boxes and write holiday cards – 542 Chicago Creek Road, Idaho Springs, 719-229-3782 Nov 7 – 8:30 am-8:30 pm - TallGrass Holiday Open House – active duty service members in attendance – guests write holiday cards – 997 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen, 303-670-4444 Nov 12 – 9:30 am-3:30 pm - Action Club members write letters and pack soldier boxes – TallGrass staff members in attendance – Church of the Hills basement, 28628 Buffalo Park Road, Evergreen, 720-583-0440 Nov 15 – 8:30-10:00 am – TallGrass staff and volunteers pack soldier boxes – The Wild Game, 1204 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen, 720-630-8888
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