Soldier's Angels Announces "Operation Cool Scarf"

Spring is here! The birds are singing, the grass is growing, daffodils are springing up. At least that's what's happening here in Illinois. In Iraq, the birds are bursting into flames in mid-air, the grass...what grass, and the daffodils are toast. Pasadena, CA March 14, 2007 -- Soldier's Angels, a non-profit agency, announced today a fundraising drive to supply U. S. troops with scarves that provide an evaporative cooling system that lowers body temperature by several degrees, reducing the risk of heat stroke. A donation of ten U. S. dollars enables the group to manufacture enough "Cool Scarves" to help 5 to 6 soldiers stay more comfortable in the punishing desert environments in Iraq and Afghanistan. A donation of ten U. S. dollars enables the group to manufacture enough "Cool Scarves" to help 5 to 6 soldiers stay more comfortable in the punishing desert environments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The cool scarf is a great way to beat the heat," said Patti Bader, founder and executive director of Soldier's Angels. "Cool scarves are made from 100 percent cotton. The magic in these scarves comes from the non-toxic synthetic crystals which transform into a soft cooling gel. This cool gel enables the scarves to stay cool two to three days without refrigeration. After being hand washed by the soldiers in-country, the scarves are easy to reactivate again by soaking them in cool water for 15 minutes.

"People interested in providing members of the military with "Cool Scarves" can visit their web site http://www.soldiersangels.org/ to make a donation by credit card or by using PayPal. A Scarf can also be purchases online at the Soldiers Angels Store and have it sent directly to a soldier. Make sure that you put in the comments section "OPERATION COOL HERO." Checks can be made out to Solder's Angels at 1792 E. Washington Blvd, Pasadena, Ca. 91104.

Founded in 2003 by the mother of a U.S. soldier, Soldiers Angels is a non-profit Internet community dedicated to ensuring that members of the military know they are loved and supported. To date, more than 105,000 individuals have adopted soldiers worldwide. These "angels" provide aid and comfort to the military and to their families. Soldier's Angels are asked to write their adopted soldier once a week, and to send small care packages to him or her twice a month. Soldiers Angels currently works with over 50,000 military units. Nearly 6,000 blankets have been given to injured service men and women in U. S. hospitals. During the Christmas holidays in 2006, more than 90,000 gift bags were sent to U. S. soldiers. All donations to Soldiers Angels are tax deductible. The organization can be reached at http://www.soldiersangels.org/ or by telephone at 1-615-676-0239.

Senior Airman Danielle Clark ties on a "neck cooler" as one way to beat the heat at her forward-deployed location. On some days, the temperature reaches 120 degrees. USAF photo by SSgt. C. Todd Lopez