T.A.O. Army Kids Publishing

Writing for America’s Military Family

Our Heroes’ Tree Program

Reflect.  Remember.  Rejoice.

Reflect ~ Remember ~ Rejoice

 

Our Heroes’ Tree is service marked by Early Light Press/T.A.O. Army Kids Publishing 2010

 

© 2010 T.A.O. Army Kids Publishing

logo by franchise studios inc

SHARE COMMUNITY SPIRIT
Our Heroes’ Tree shares the bonds of military family service, separation, and sacrifice. Host Our Heroes’ Tree and promote community outreach, share stories of living history and remembrance, and create ornaments.

TOGETHER IN PATRIOTIC PRIDE
Our Heroes’ Tree promotes patriotic pride among families, organizations, and communities.  Host Our Heroes’ Tree and share patriotic support, music, song, poetry, and book readings from The Soldier’s Tree and The Hero in My Pocket.

 

PLANNING OUR HEROES’ TREE EVENT

BE CREATIVE. 
Our Heroes’ Tree stands for more than traditional seasonal holidays. Get with the program – host Our Heroes’ Tree on Veterans’ Day or Valentine’s Day.  Our Heroes’ Tree is easily adapted for use by deployed units to honor families back home as well as in tribute to the wounded/injured and the fallen.

BUDGET. 
Some groups have been successful asking local merchants or organizations to donate goods (e.g., tree, flags) or services (e.g., musical performance).

PLAN. 
Give yourself time to plan and prepare.  The recommended duration for Our Heroes’ Tree program is one to two hours. Consider variables, such as group size and composition, location, and travel distances, and adjust the time accordingly.  Also consider scheduling time at least one week prior to the program to make ornaments, prepare photographs, etc., and to host a reading of Stephanie Pickup’s The Soldier’s Tree at a library, school, or community center, and for drawing “Hero Pages” from Marlene Lee’s The Hero in My Pocket. Both authors’ books are available via Amazon.com, Target.com, and www.ourheroestree.com.

DECORATIONS for Our Heroes’ Tree.
Position American flags at the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock positions on upper tree branches. Place one large bow of yellow ribbon approximately 3-6” from the top of the tree with ribbon length streaming to the lower tree branches. Use only white lights, not colored lights, to symbolize a silent salute to those who have lost their lives. Refer to the Guidelines for more detail on planning and decorating.

ANNOUNCE.
Reach your audience using traditional and new media: email, newspapers, websites, Facebook, and even Twitter for announcements. Download the complete Our Heroes’ Tree Guidelines for an easy-to-use Invitation.

ENGAGE. 
Extend your community outreach based on the unique needs of your organization or community. Some groups invite Veterans to speak, host book readings and signings, and even sponsor blood drives.

 

PROGRAM SAMPLE TIMELINE

Below is a sample timeline for Our Heroes’ Tree.

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.  Hang ornaments; Decorate “Hero Pages” from The Hero in My Pocket

3:45 – 4:00 p.m.    Welcome (5 minutes)

                                Pledge of Allegiance (5 minutes)

                                Patriotic song (group sing, 5 minutes)

4:00 – 4:25 p.m.     Dedication of Our Heroes’ Tree
                                                   Remarks from Host about sharing the bonds of service, separation, and sacrifice.
                                                   Join in a moment of silence to remember those who are serving, those who have served, and those whose lives have been lost.
                                                   Selected guests hang their ornaments.
                                                   Encourage attendees to share a story about their ornament with another attendee during social time to follow.

4:25 – 4:40 p.m.    Reading of The Soldier’s Tree

   4:40 – 5:00 p.m.    Refreshments, Socializing

 

SHARING IDEAS

Rhode Island Governor Donald and Mrs. Carcieri and Rhode Island National Guard Adjutant General Robert T. Bray started a new tradition by hosting Our Heroes’ Tree in the State Capitol building beginning in 2007 and continuing in 2008 and 2009. Plans are underway for 2010.

Families at McBride Elementary School, Ft. Benning, GA, made ornaments that deploying soldiers carried to Iraq to decorate Our Heroes’ Tree in honor of their families. 

Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University engaged public libraries throughout Indiana, 30 other states, and 9 countries to honor Veterans’ Day 2008 and 2009 with Our Heroes’ Tree. MFRI created educational literature, posters, and bookmarks to champion literacy, history, and family participation. MFRI also hosts a “Virtual Our Heroes’ Tree” via their website.  Website: www.mfri.purdue.edu

Currituck BBQ Restaurant, Currituck, NC, honors its local firefighters and police officers as heroes because many dual-serve in the community and National Guard and Reserve. Website: www.currituckbbq.com

At the United States Military Academy, prior to Our Heroes’ Tree ceremony in 2005, West Point Elementary School invited Stephanie Pickup to read her book, The Soldier’s Tree, to all of its classes.

In honor of Veterans’ Day, Rogers Elementary School, Fairhaven, MA, lined their gymnasium with yellow construction paper, creating a “yellow ribbon” of support. Children pasted Our Heroes’ Tree ornaments onto the ribbon.

Princeton (West Virginia) Public Library received an outpouring of community support for hosting Our Heroes’ Tree in 2007.

Organizers from 1^st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany, decorated 11 trees outdoors with 2,000 ornaments in a popular area on post in 2006.   During the event, families watched their soldiers downrange via a large screen television.

Ft. Bliss, TX, shared the love by hosting Our Heroes’ Tree for Valentine’s Day 2010!

 

ABOUT OUR HEROES’ TREE

  Our Heroes’ Tree, a community outreach program co-founded in 2005 by Stephanie Pickup and Marlene Lee, promotes awareness of the service and sacrifice of U.S. service members and their families.  The program is inclusive of all branches of service, all components, and all generations.

 

  Stephanie Pickup, author of The Soldier’s Tree, and Marlene Lee, author of The Hero in My Pocket, attend events, conferences, consult with program hosts, and discuss with members of the public and private sectors how programming for Our Heroes’ Tree can benefit families, communities, and the greater society. 

 

  Please contact Our Heroes’ Tree co-founders if you are interested in having us help you assess or develop programs or having us participate in book readings/signings or as a guest speaker.

 

 

Stephanie Pickup, Co-founder, Our Heroes’ Tree

 

Stephanie Pickup helped her young children through her husband’s two Army deployments overseas during the holidays; she also led an Army Family Readiness Group for more than two years.

 

Based on her own experiences, Stephanie, a writer and mother of four, authored The Soldier’s Tree, a book for children (ages 3-6 years) whose loved one is deployed during holiday time. Stephanie’s charming story and colorful illustrations are sure to comfort and encourage children as they make, decorate, and celebrate their very own soldier’s tree.

 

Website for T.A.O. Army Kids Publishing: www.taopublishing.com

 

Marlene Lee, Co-founder, Our Heroes’ Tree

 

Inspired by her volunteer work with injured soldiers and their family members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Marlene Lee authored The Hero in My Pocket, a keepsake book for children (ages 6-12 years) affected by the loss of a service member.

 

With a master’s degree in Thanatology (death, dying, and bereavement studies), Marlene designed Hero to help facilitate communication among children and adults on the difficult topic of grief and recovery. Marlene co-authored That’s My Hope, a story of inspiration and resilience for families who have experienced trauma, illness, or injury.

 

Website for Early Light Press: www.earlylightpress.com

 

 

 

 

START A TRADITION

Our Heroes’ Tree recognizes families whose loved ones are currently serving, Veterans, or deceased U.S. service members.  Host Our Heroes’ Tree decorated with American flags, yellow ribbon, white lights, and ornaments in appreciation.

 

Our Heroes’ Tree blends the themes of

 The Soldier’s Tree and The Hero in My Pocket. 

 

 Our Heroes’ Tree Book Bundle

includes 1 copy of The Soldier’s Tree and

1 copy of The Hero in My Pocket

 

$24.95 plus shipping

 

 

 

Download your FREE guidelines here!.

TRADEMARK AND LOGO USAGE NOTES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR OUR HEROES’ TREESM

 

Except as stated in the Trademark and Logo Usage Notes herein, you or your company/organization/etc., may not use Our Heroes’ Tree Trademark or any confusingly similar mark as a trademark for your program or service, or use Our Heroes’ Tree Trademarks in any manner that may cause confusion in the marketplace, including but not limited to advertising and collateral, internet media (websites, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), or event programming.

 

Below are the conditions for use by the general public of Our Heroes’ Tree as a Trademark name, for which, as long as you are in compliance with all items, no advance written permission is necessary.  Use is permitted only if all four conditions are met:

 

1. The name Our Heroes’ Tree is used only in conjunction with promoting and hosting a program or event that features or includes Our Heroes’ Tree, and

2. The name Our Heroes’ Tree must be used in full and cannot be modified (for example, do not abbreviate the name), and

3. Program or event organizers send an email stating the host name (organization, company, etc.) and date for Our Heroes’ Tree program or event to:  ourheroestree@earlylightpress.com or alternatively, post the information on the Facebook page Our Heroes’ Tree Program, and,

4. Program or event organizers cite and credit Stephanie Pickup and Marlene Lee, in customary and usual collateral (i.e., marketing, advertising, event literature, in all media), in a font size no smaller than 10 point and in the Arial font or similar font, as stated:    “Our Heroes’ Treesm, created by Stephanie Pickup and Marlene Lee.”  

 

Our Heroes’ Tree logo (blue tree, gold star, red lettering, and service mark) and the brand tagline “Reflect.  Remember. Rejoice.” are used solely by Stephanie Pickup and Marlene Lee, and use or replication is not granted for the general public with two exceptions:

 

1. Our Heroes’ Tree logo and brand tagline appear on each page of Our Heroes’ Tree Guidelines, and permission is granted to copy the Guidelines for event planning and implementation.

2. Our Heroes’ Tree logo apprears on the Invitation poem for Our Heroes’ Tree, and permission is granted to embed the logo without alteration on the invitation. 

 

Please be aware that Federal law obligates trademark owners to monitor their marks and prevent the use of confusingly similar names by third parties.