‘Hugging Heroes’

The Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club has undertaken an "Operation Hug-A-Hero" (OHAH) project to support children of family members working in dangerous professions.

OHAH is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization helping the children of those who serve in U.S. armed services, in law enforcement and as first responders.

Since its establishment in 2008, OHAH has raised funds to launch and implement its Hug-A-Hero doll program. To date, hundreds of Hug-A-Hero dolls have been provided, at no cost, to the children of heroes who are deployed, who are in harm's way each day or who have fallen.

But the Hug-A-Hero doll is no ordinary doll: its design features a head-to-toe photograph of the recipient's parent or loved one and a personalized message.

The doll not only gives comfort in times of distress or sadness that separation can cause, but also provides a vehicle for the child to share feelings and tell the story about the hero's service.

OHAH has a priority waiting list.

Priority is given to children coming from junior ranking military families, from families with fewer than three years of public service, from families of fallen heroes, from those being referred by a helping professional and from those that demonstrate the most significant financial need based on household income.

The OHAH family affairs coordinator maintains communications with these families.  The coordinator also regularly communicates with those who have referred families to the program, to advise professionals on the anticipated timeline to be serviced by the OHAH program.

Taking on OHAH is what Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club designates a "Done in a Day" (DIAD) project.

President Charlie Mills describes DIAD projects as "projects that don't take too much time or involvement. The dictionary description, for example, is a one-day thing, even though it takes days to organize."

Mills encourages everyone—Rotary members and non-Rotary members—to join their efforts by visiting http://www.operationhugahero.org to learn more and hopefully make a donation .

Rotary International is a service club organization with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide.

Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace and eradicate polio under the motto "Service Above Self."

Rotarians provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and strive to build goodwill and peace in the world.

The Gainesville-Haymarket club co-sponsors Haymarket Earth Day, the Children's Wellness Festival and other events.  The club also supports the Rotary-Community Corps (RCC), an extension of Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary, for those who cannot make weekly meetings or participate in every Rotary effort.

Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious and open to those from all cultures, races and creeds.

To become a Rotarian, those interested must be invited to join a Rotary club by a member of that club.

For more information on the Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club, visit http://www.gh-rotary.org.