KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A $250,000 gift to the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Operation Uplink “Free Call Day” program by Texas-based Sport Clips is expected to provide more than 6.5 million minutes of free calls home for soldiers over the holidays.
Sport Clips' donation is the single largest corporate gift to the program to date and will make available free call days for deployed and hospitalized American military on Christmas, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.
The donation doubled Sport Clips' 2009 goal of $125,000 and represents funds raised by company team members and clients from the franchise's 670 locations across the country.
Sport Clips Founder/CEO and lifetime VFW member Gordon Logan presented the gift to VFW Commander- in- Chief Thomas J. Tradewell, Sr. Texas State Adjutant/Quartermaster Roy J. Grona; Past VFW National Commander’s James Nier and Glen Gardner, Texas Dept. Commander Mike Barber, Dept. Sr. Vice Commander Wayne DePute, Dept. Junior Vice Commander John Spahr and Iraq veteran 2nd Lt. Joseph Meller, Texas Army National Guard attended the check presentation.
"Our commitment to the men and women who are serving our country as well as their family and friends is strong, and we appreciate all those who worked to make this landmark donation possible," Logan said. "The memory of wanting to call home during my days overseas is one that stays with me. So, we will continue our commitment to our deployed and hospitalized troops through Operation Uplink and to the military at home with special pricing in our stores."
“Sport Clips’ generosity is extraordinary beyond words. This is a gift that will bring immeasurable joy for so many of our service members and their families. We are deeply grateful for Sport Clips’ support through the past few years and all they’ve done on behalf of those who deserve it most,” said VFW National Commander Tradewell.
This is Sport Clips' third year to support Operation Uplink. In 2007, Sport Clips kicked off its first Operation Uplink effort exceeding its goal of $30,000 by raising $87,000. In 2008, the sports-themed haircutter raised more than $120,000 for the VFW program.
Sport Clips has been named one of the top 100 franchises in America and one of the top 50 fastest growing franchises by Entrepreneur magazine and is the "Official Haircutter" of the VFW. The franchise also supports the military with special store ownership options through the International Franchise Association's VetFran program. For more information about Sport Clips visit SportClips.com.