Held for the first time on December 16, 2006, as part of our service expansion plan, this is an annual Christmas celebration for the children, spouses, and families of the United States military troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It currently requires approximately 40% of our time.  We produced the entire event and coordinated the participation of the various schools, civilian and military service organizations, and individuals.

Staged in Phoenix, Arizona, our first Gratitude event was attended by 500, most of which were from the Arizona Army National Guard.  The children participated in over fifteen different activities including karaoke, doing various art projects, visiting Santa Claus, selecting presents for themselves and for their family members, going to a petting zoo, riding on amusement rides, lunch, and lots of entertainment.

In 2007, the National Gratitude Project was expanded to include all of the branches of the National Guard and Reserves.  An estimated 3,000 are expected to attend the two events that will be held in Phoenix.  Additional Christmas events will be held in Tucson, Flagstaff, and Bullhead City, serving an estimated 2,000. 

Throughout the year, PNA coordinates additional free family activities and negotiates discount rates for military families with local businesses.  In 2008, PNA plans to conduct nationwide workshops to create community production teams which will produce Christmas events for military families in their own communities.  Our goal is to have National Gratitude Christmas events nationwide by December, 2009.

By producing these events, we create a nurturing environment where the community can come together to: 1) Thank the military families for their service and sacrifice; and 2) Provide a Christmas celebration for the families.  Deployment often creates a financial and emotional hardship on the family left behind and the National Gratitude Project helps to ameliorate the sense of loss inherent in those circumstances.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PRODUCE A NATIONAL GRATITUDE PROJECT CHRISTMAS EVENT IN YOUR AREA, CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY BY EMAIL OR BY TELEPHONE AT 623-326-7951.