Miami Heat Joined America

For the third consecutive year, the Miami Heat, team President Pat Riley and America’s Moms for Soldiers have joined forces to send “care packages” to troops in Afghanistan.

Riley sponsored the purchasing of supplies and mailing of 250 “care packages.” America’s Moms for Soldiers, a Pompano Beach-based charity, helped assemble the packages at American Airlines Arena on Dec. 20, 2011.

“I’m proud to be a part of it; the Heat’s proud to be a part of it,” Riley said.

Each “care package” contained baby wipes because troops often go days or weeks between showers, beef jerky, cookies, crackers and other treats and hygiene supplies.

Riley and the Heat also sponsor the Home Strong program, honoring troops at each game. He especially saluted four South Florida soldiers – First sergeant Stephon McAfee and specialists Vanessa Barralaga, Juan Cortes and Mark Centeno, who were in uniform and joined the assembling line.

“When you’re sitting on that wall over there and protecting our freedoms and security and putting your life in harm’s way on a daily basis, when they come back, they deserve the attention,” Riley said.

Following practice, Heat players joined the line assembling packages and then wrote messages of thanks and support to the troops. The signed and autographed banners are boxed with the “care packages,” some of which are dropped by helicopter at remote mountain outposts.

“The military’s the backbone of our nation,” new forward Shane Battier said.

Both the soldiers and players seemed a little in awe of each other. “I thought we were just here to pack boxes, but this is great,” McAfee said. “I never thought we’d get to meet the players too.”

But as LeBron James wrote in his message to the troops: “You guys are the real heroes.”

America’s Moms for Soldiers and its all-volunteer staff, mails 700-1,000 “care packages” each month. Working with chaplains and officers, America’s Moms’ mission is “to never let a soldier walk away from mail call with nothing” and specifically targets troops who do not receive regular mail.

America’s Moms for Soldiers began with a list of 20 soldiers in 2009. It has expanded to more than 1,200 soldiers, marines and airmen with America’s Moms mailing more than 9,000 “care packages” in 2011.

For more information, please visit www.americasmomsforsoldiers.com .