Newman's Own and Pentagon Honor Returning Troops, Their Supporters

From the DoD's Daily Digest/America Supports You newsletter:

Several America Supports You homefront groups were honored during last Friday’s eighth annual Newman’s Own Awards Ceremony at the Pentagon, with ASY homefront organization Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation winning the top $15,000 award. Ten organizations, of ninety-nine groups that submitted entries, won grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.

A panel of judges determined the winners based on the organization’s community impact, creativity and innovation. Representatives from the three organizations that sponsored the event and the grants - Newman’s Own, the Fisher House Foundation and the Military Times Media Group - joined Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the ceremony.

Mike Conklin, who represented Sentinels of Freedom, called the award a “tremendous honor,” noting the money will help put more wounded servicemembers through their four-year program that includes housing, furniture, a vehicle and employment at a major corporation.

Other ASY homefront groups that were honored included: the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, Hope for the Warriors, Operation Support Our Troops, Soldiers’ Angels, Operation First Response and Operation Homefront. Tom Indoe, President of Newman’s Own, thanked all the organizations for their work. “My experience working with charities is that the (volunteers are the backbone) of these charities…They are the threads that hold the fabric of these charities together. It is these volunteers that bring good value and goodness to this country.”

Read more, then view the related photo essay.