USO Wishbook Adds New Wounded Warrior Gifts Just In Time for Last Minute Holiday Giving

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This holiday season, "Sons of Anarchy" star Kim Coates is teaming up with the USO to tell Americans how they can give a gift that gives twice through the USO Wishbook, the alternative giving catalog designed to support our deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors and their families and families of the fallen. 

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A USO tour veteran, Coates learned first-hand on his 2010 USO tour, with fellow cast members Theo Rossi, Mark Boone Junior and Dayton Callie, how tough deployments can be for our troops and their families.  His experience is one of the reasons he's once again decided to partner with the USO and help spread the word about USO Wishbook.

"On our USO tour, troops were always thanking us for visiting and telling us how much it meant to them to know that America hadn't forgotten about them and appreciated all of their hard work," said Coates.  "And when I heard about USO Wishbook and all the good it does for our men and women in uniform and their families, I knew I wanted to get involved. It's a great way for Americans to give our troops what they need most: support, comfort and appreciation. "

This year the USO Wishbook offers the opportunity to provide a wounded warrior with blankets and pillows to make his flight home from battle more comfortable or support a camp getaway for a military child with a fallen or wounded loved one. The "Flight Home Comfort Kit" and "Send a Military Child to Camp" are just two of new gifts the USO has added to its catalog at the request of U.S. troops.

"We often ask troops and families if the USO is doing a good job serving them and what programs and services we offer matter most," said USO SVP and Chief Development Officer Kelli Seely. "This year, for the first time, troops told us that taking care of their friends who are returning home with visible and invisible wounds of war and their families is most important. Just like we've increased our programs and services to address these special needs, we felt it was important to also increase the amount of USO Wishbook gifts that support our wounded, ill and injured troops."

The USO Wishbook is the most comprehensive alternative giving website that solely supports U.S. troops and their families. The site features dozens of virtual gift items that give twice. Consumers can purchase a tax deductible gift for a loved one and the money goes to support our brave men and women in the military.

With gifts to suit every budget, the USO Wishbook offers items priced from $15 up to $6,000 for extraordinary gifts, such as "Build a Bike for a Wounded Warrior."  For $25 or less, you can purchase a "Comfort Food Package" full of troops' favorite salty snacks and other comforts of home, a "Growing Up Kit for Kids" to help a military child cope with the stresses of military life, or "Phone Calls Home" to provide a service man or woman with an opportunity to stay connected to loved ones during deployment.

Visitors to usowishbook.org can easily browse gifts in three ways: by interest (deployed troops, military families or wounded warriors), by recipient (for him, for her, for kids, and for colleagues) and by price ranges.  USO Wishbook provides an affordable and easy way to give unique gifts and say thank you to the troops this holiday season.

How it works:

• Log on to: usowishbook.org
• Browse the catalog
• Select and purchase a gift
• Choose to send gift recipient an e-card informing them they have been honored with a USO gift
• Receive your receipt for tax-deductible donation to the USO

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization, not a government agency. All of our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.  In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President's Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, Clear Channel, The Coca-Cola Company, jcpenney, Kangaroo Express, Kroger, Lowe's, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble, and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation and TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381).  To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.

Media Contact:
Kenya Friend-Daniel
Office (703) 908-6491
[email protected]

Sharee Posey
Office (703) 740-4980
[email protected]

SOURCE USO