Team News & Events

Registration Now: Run with Team USO in 2012 LA Marathon and NYC Half-Marathon

Team USO online registration is now open for the 2012 Honda LA Marathon to be held on Sunday, March 18. This is one of the largest road races in the world and the race is expected to sell out. Runners can secure their spot on the starting line by registering here. Just 25 spots are available for Team USO. 

The USO is proud to be among the New York Road Runners’ official charity partners for the 2012 New York City Half-Marathon. We only have 15 race registrations available so click here to register today. 

Virginia Tech Phi Kappa Tau Helps Military Kids

The brother of Phi Kappa Tau at Virginia Tech showed off their baking skills all while raising funds for a good cause. The fraternity hosted a bake sale on campus to support United Through Reading’s Military Program. They raised a little over $180 that will help the USO provide 18 children with a book and video of their deployed parent reading them a story. PKT Brother Ryan Oberleitner said he understands the importance of connecting these children with their parents and hopes to do as much as he can to help more children “see” their mom or dad when they are stationed far from home. The fraternity also filled a banner with notes of thanks to our troops.

GFWC Club Helps Deployed Troops Read Bedtime Stories to their Kids

When the Benson Woman’s Club in Benson, Arizona heard about United Through Reading’s Military Program they knew they wanted to support this project. United Through Reading’s Military Program enables a service member to video record themselves reading a children’s book to their little ones back home. The USO then ships the DVD and book home to their family free of charge. The Benson Woman’s Club thought long and hard before coming up with a way to raise money to support the program.   They said for years they have been supporting their kids and all their kids’ activities and decided now it was their turn. They asked their children and their friends for donations to support the USO and received an amazing $844. The club voted to increase their donation to the USO to $1,000. Corrine Valnes, Benson Woman’s Club president, said, “We feel this is a project worthy of our support as our Woman’s Club district here in Arizona has two military groups close by – Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista and Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.” Click here to make a donation in support of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.

National Exchange Club Sends Cheer to Troops

The Marysville Exchange Club wants to give back to those fighting to protect our freedom.  They are hosting numerous events throughout the year to support Operation USO Care Package.  Every dollar raised will go to sending care packages filled with goodies like a razor, toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, gum, beef jerky, playing cards, etc to deployed troops.  Each care package costs $25.  With events on Veterans Days and at Christmas, the Marysville Exchange Club has raised almost $250 to date to support this program.  The club plans to continue their efforts throughout 2012.  To make a donation to the USO in support of the Marysville Exchange Club efforts click here.

Des Plaines Elks Provide Holiday Lunch at USO-O’Hare

Every year, when Great Lakes Naval Training Center and School Command grant furloughs for all personnel to go home for the holidays, more than 3,000 traveling military visit the USO at O’Hare International Airport. It is referred to as the EXODUS.  And, every year, volunteers from the Des Plaines, IL, Elks Lodge No. 1526  are there to feed the troops waiting for their flights and say thank you for their service.  On December 16, the Des Plaines Elks provided an amazing lunch for all the traveling military. They delivered and helped serve four elegant assorted meat and cheese trays, 30 loaves of bread, 200 devilled eggs, and 30 cases of soda. There was a never-ending line of hungry service members that took full advantage of the food the Elks provided. In fact, there was so much food that the USO at O’Hare was able to feed hungry traveling troops for two days!  For more information about the Elks Veterans Service Program please visit www.elks.org. Click here for more information about the Elks efforts to support the USO.

The North Central District and the Ontario District of the New York Elks continue their long tradition of supporting our troops and families in their community. On Thursday, December 15, the Elks presented a check for $3723 to the USO of Fort Drum to support center operations and USO programs that help Fort Drum service members and their families.  A group of about 15 Elks from the North Central District and the Ontario District along with Elks National President David Carr toured the military base and presented the check to USO Fort Drum Center Director Karen Clark. The North Central District and Ontario District, made up of 14 lodges and 5,000 members, hosted a dinner to raise the funds. They plan to continue to support USO Fort Drum annually.  Earlier this year the Elks announced a national partnership with the USO and presented the USO with $25,000 for a USO2GO kit. The USO2GO kit provided some of the comforts of home to troops stationed at Forward Operating Base Shinwar, on the Pakistan/Afghan border. Check out the thank you video the troops shared with us.  For more information about the Elks Veterans Service Programs please visit www.elks.org. Click here for more information about the Elks efforts to support the USO.

Beta Club Serves Up Charity Dinner

The Fort Dorchester High School Beta Club in North Charleston, SC, a student run philanthropic organization, wanted to find a way to serve our troops this Veteran’s Day. With the help of their advisor Tricia Andrews, the club hosted a Silver Spoon Supper on Friday November 11, 2011. They served dishes from around the world, reminiscent of the places where US troops are stationed. They sold 100 tickets to the dinner and charged $.25 for every spoonful of food prepared by family members and local restaurants. “The club chose the USO for its fundraiser because so many of the school's students have parents or other relatives who are in the military,” said Andrews. In fact one 10^th grade Beta Club member had a great surprise. Her uncle Marine Staff Sgt. Shawn Edwards stopped by the event to say goodbye before he leaves for Afghanistan next week.   The event raised over $800 to benefit the USO.

 CCU Fiji's Smash Car to Raise Funds for the USO

Students climbed on top of a car at the Delta Colony of Phi Gamma Delta at Coastal Carolina University and dented the trunk, shattered the windows and knocked out headlights. The destruction was one way the group raised money to support our troops and their families through the USO.

Find out more about the Delta Colony’s weeklong series of philanthropic events 

UMD Fijis Determined to Get $7,500 MEGS for the Troops

The Phi Gam brothers at University of Maryland plan to hold various fundraisers over the next few months to raise enough for a MEGS – a trunk of fun that transforms a military tent into a makeshift movie theater and game room in a matter of seconds.

Read about their plans. 

Soldier's Parents Make Promise to Troops

Bob Guere and his wife Mary Ellen say they won't forget. Their son Ryan is stationed at a forward operating base near the Pakistani border.  He's been deployed just two months now and in two months they have raised nearly $8,000. Guere says the troops are not always at the top of everyone's minds but as long as his son is in Afghanistan he and his wife promise to keep the troops at the forefront of America's minds.  They started an email writing campaign in April, emailing over 150 family and friends. Guere says he plans to continue emailing everyone he and his wife know until everyone comes home.  He will send out new emails around each holiday – July 4^th, Thanksgiving and Christmas. As people are celebrating and enjoying their freedom he wants to remind them of those far from their homes fighting for our freedom. Bob says his goal is to raise $25,000 by March 2012 to help the USO send the troops some of the comforts of home.  He says it's our turn to make a difference in their lives.

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Phi Gamma Delta Boot Camp Competition Raises Thousands

The Vanderbilt University Phi Gams survived their first boot camp-style competition, "Training for the Troops." Click hereto find out more about how these Fiji brothers raised over $3,400 to support our military men and women.

Rowan FIJIs Hit a Strike with Bowlapalooza

The Rowan University Fiji's raised over $2,000 to support our troops and their families. Read all about FIJI Bowlapalooza."