Ritchie: More Than 10,000 Holiday Greetings Collected Through ‘Christmas Cards For Our Troops’ Program

State Senator Patty Ritchie is pleased to announce she has collected more than 10,000 holiday greeting cards through the ‘Christmas Cards for Our Troops’ program, an initiative that helps community members send their holiday wishes to active duty military members and veterans, who may be away from home this holiday season.

Through the program—which is organized by the Albany Veterans Miracle Center and Ogdensburg native and radio personality Melody Burns—local businesses, community groups, school classes, churches, families and individuals brought signed cards to Senator Ritchie’s district offices in Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties. Cards were delivered to the Albany Veterans Miracle Center, where they were sent on to veterans and military members deployed across the globe. 

“For many, Christmas is the most special time of the year,” said Senator Ritchie. “However, for so many of our nation’s military who are deployed overseas, it can be heartbreaking to be away from family.”

“The 'Christmas Cards for our Troops' program helps remind these brave men and women—as well as our veterans—that we are thinking of them and appreciate their service, not just during the holidays, but every day of the year. I would like to thank all of the people who again participated this year and would like to express my gratitude to the men and women or our military, both past and present, for all they have done to protect our freedom.”

Senator Ritchie also received hundreds of cards after last month’s deadline to drop them off at her offices. Those cards were distributed to local 10^th Mountain Division troops, their families and area veterans. Since 2012, with the help of Central and Northern New Yorkers, Senator Ritchie has collected over 80,000 Christmas cards for the program.