Kentucky National Guard Staff Report
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Kentucky Guardsmen, members of the Kentucky National Guard Family Assistance Center and volunteers from the Building Association of Central Kentucky load a truck with toys for Operation Military Cheer 2018 in Lexington, Ky., Dec. 14, 2018. Operation Military Cheer has helped military families provide for their children at Christmas for the past seven years. (Courtesy photo by Mark Mahan)
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- For seven years, volunteers with the Kentucky National Guard's Family Assistance Center have helped make the Christmas season a little brighter for some military families.
Operation Military Cheer accepts applications from military families across the commonwealth that may not be able to provide for their children each Christmas. Kentucky Guardsmen, volunteers and local organizations including the Building Association of Central Kentucky answer the call to help and help deliver toys to the families.
For the 2018 season, Operation Military Cheer provided for 293 children from 112 families throughout the Kentucky Guard's ranks. The American Legion Women's Auxiliary in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, ran the event and distributed the donations from 13 locations across the state.
"Operation Military Cheer has been a blessing to so many National Guard families," said Cindy Culver, lead child and youth coordinator for the Kentucky National Guard.
I can't imagine a child waking up on Christmas morning to see that there is nothing under the tree for them. Operation Military Cheer works a lot like the Angel Tree and this could not happen without the support of other National Guard families and community organizations. There is no better feeling than spending Christmas with my family knowing somewhere out there my efforts working within this program, I may have made an impact on someone's Christmas memories."
To find out more about Operation Military Cheer and other special events benefiting Guard families, contact the Family Assistance Center hotline at 1-800-372-7601.