Founder Burt Sappenfield and co-founder Larry Miller today announced that OPERATION HAND-WARMER 2021 is underway. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, there was no organized Operation Hand-Warmer donation drive last year. Burt Sappenfield explains how a somewhat scaled-back effort will work this November: “At present, no entry is allowed in Savannah at the Army’s Special Ops building or at the gate, and they don’t see a change in the near future. Furthermore, with the drawdown in troops stationed overseas, the need is not as urgent as in the past.

We plan on collecting in-house at limited locations for folks to drop off items this fall. I have it worked out that I can truck any items collected to Savannah and have an Army truck meet me outside the gate. They will, in turn, load it on the supply planes.

So, to prevent possible conflicts and issues, I will pick up drop boxes and load them at my warehouse this year. I will transport these boxes to Savannah the first week of December. Collections this year will be during the entire month of November. If your business wants to help, you will need to decorate a box and have it available for your employees to put items in.”

All boxes will be picked up on December 1st (no late deliveries).

“We will not be mailing APO boxes as we have in the past,” explains Mr. Miller. The primary drop-off location for donations this year will be the lobby of CENTURY 21 Larry Miller Realty, 235 North Belair Road, in Evans. “Hopefully, 2022 will be better and we can get back to the fun and excitement of networking and live events of previous years.” Here are several Operation Hand-Warmer items specifically requested by our troops: Small fleece blankets (green, black, or camo---$4.00 at Walmart); socks (black); hand-warmers; fleece caps; nuts (all kinds); protein bars; powdered drink mixes; sunflower seeds; tuna in the small aluminum packages; beef jerky, etc.

Visit www.OperationHandWarmerUS.com or e-mail Mr. Sappenfield with anyquestions ([email protected]).

         Operation Hand-Warmer has been sponsored and promoted by CENTURY 21 Larry Miller Realty and the CSRA HOME CONNECTIONS Program since its inception in late 2011. “Our Premier Providers, agents, staff, and supporters have come to eagerly anticipate helping Operation Hand-Warmer provide supplemental support for our men and women in uniform every fall. Like Burt Sappenfield, we look forward to resuming this worthwhile event in full force next year.” Donation records were broken in 2019 with the powerful and much-appreciated assistance of Operation Hand-Warmer media partners FOX 54 television, iHeartMEDIA radio, and the Augusta Chronicle.