Pilot Pen Partners With Operation Gratitude For Red, Write And Blue Thank You Initiative For The Troops

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As the United States celebrates Independence Day, Pilot Corporation of America (Pilot Pen) and Operation Gratitude – a national organization that assembles and distributes personalized care packages to Service Members and Veterans – are inviting Americans to honor those individuals who work tirelessly to protect our freedom every day by participating in the Red, Write and Blue Initiative.

Through this initiative, Pilot Pen and Operation Gratitude are inviting everyone to pick up a pen and write a letter of thanks to an active, deployed Service Member. Thank you letters are one of the most cherished items in Operation Gratitude's Care Packages and a perfect way to show our deep appreciation for their service. It's simple to participate, visit PowertothePen.com/Gratitude to download the thank you letter stationary to send to Operation Gratitude and to learn more about the initiative.

In addition to promoting letter writing, Pilot Pen has donated 450,000 CAMO pens, valued at almost $2 million, to Operation Gratitude to be included in care packages, for our Service Member's everyday writing needs and to make it easier for them to send hand written communication to their loved ones back home.

"Even today with all of the digital technology, you would think we wouldn't need to write letters any more, but that couldn't be farther from the truth," said Ariann Langsam, Director of Marketing, Pilot Pen. "Digital communication isn't as intimate as a handwritten letter. A letter is substantial, not fleeting. It gives you something you can touch and hold. It is a lasting representation of the relationship, and a pen can go anywhere and everywhere our service men and women go."

The Pilot CAMO ball point pens feature a stainless steel tip, comfortable rubber grip, a choice of three camouflage designs along with smooth, rapid-drying, smear resistant ink. These pens' durability and strong spring-loaded clip are ideal for the wide variety of challenging terrains that our Troops visit. It also has over a mile of ink – that's a lot of letters home!

"Operation Gratitude prides itself on the quality of items that we include in our care packages that are sent to our Service Members.  The opportunity to include a Pilot Pen in each of our packages is a very meaningful addition," said Chris Clark, VP & Chief Development Officer, Operation Gratitude. "We are thrilled to receive such a significant product donation, but equally excited that Pilot is committed to collecting handwritten letters from the American public to be a part of this initiative."

Follow Pilot Pen and Operation Gratitude on social media for more information at Facebook.com/PilotPen or @PilotPenUSA and @OpGratitude on Instagram and Twitter, and encourage others to pen it forward to support members of the military this year.

ABOUT PILOT CORPORATION OF AMERICA
Pilot Pen offers superlative writing instruments renowned for quality, performance, cutting-edge technology and consumer satisfaction. Widely acknowledged as innovators, Pilot was first to introduce Americans to fine-point writing, currently maintaining the top share position in the gel and rolling ball pen categories. Pilot's line also includes the acclaimed Dr. Grip family of products featuring an ergonomic, wide comfort grip that reduces writing fatigue, as well as the notable Precise V5 and G2 lines. Pilot Pen manufactures and distributes from its state-of-the-art facility in Jacksonville, Florida; its parent company is the oldest and largest manufacturer of writing instruments in Japan. For more: www.pilotpen.us.

ABOUT OPERATION GRATITUDE
Operation Gratitude, a 501 (c) (3), volunteer-based organization, annually sends 250,000+ care packages to Veterans, New Recruits, First Responders, Wounded Heroes, Caregivers, and to individually named U.S. service members deployed overseas and their families waiting at home. Each package is filled with food, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items, as well as personal letters of support. Operation Gratitude's mission is to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of the Military and First Responder communities, and provide volunteer opportunities for civilians anywhere in America to express their appreciation to all who serve our nation. Each package contains donated product valued between $50 and $100 and costs the organization $15 to assemble and ship. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than 1.5 Million Care Packages.  For more:  www.operationgratitude.com.

For More Media Information:
Emily Oliver  
Bright red · 850.668.6824
[email protected]

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SOURCE Pilot Corporation of America

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