Mark Your Calendars!

Spring has been a long time coming but the wait is over!  The coming weeks and months will bring us a vivid carnival of delayed blooms and sunny days! Over the winter some of our Warrior Families came to Bethany Beach for short breaks to be by the ocean. Even in the winter, the Bethany area continues to give our Warrior families a place to rest and bond as a family.

The 3^rd Annual Warrior Beach Week has been scheduled for 9/8 – 9/13, 2015!  It will be an exciting week with 9/11 falling on Friday, the evening of the HEROEs Parade and the Tribute Concert at Freeman Stage. We are excited and very pleased that Aaron Tippin will be the featured entertainment for the 9/11 Tribute Concert at Freeman Stage! Aaron is an American country music artist and is known for songs such as You’ve Got to Stand for Something and Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly and many others.   Learn more about the Tribute Concert and how to buy tickets.

Notes from the Off-Season

OSTD WARRIOR FAMILY RECEIVES A NEW HOME - An OSTD Wounded Warrior Family was selected by Sussex County Habitat for Humanity to receive the 2015 Veteran Build Home. This first Vet Home is started and lead by the Georgetown Ellendale VFW. The Vet selected is a permanently disabled Army Ranger whose wife gave up her career to be his caregiver. This family said, “We will forever be grateful to Habitat and the Vet Build volunteers and donors that make this possible.” This Vet was part of the 2014 OSTD event.

A HEART WARMING CHRISTMAS STORY – What do 2014 OSTD Host Families that were giving Christmas gifts to Warrior Families have in common with the Sussex Family YMCA in Rehoboth? Turns out their paths crossed just as the YMCA Board had decided to be Christmas Angels to Veterans Families. Those connections resulted in the YMCA Angels giving Christmas Dinner baskets to 26 of the neediest Wounded Warrior Families in Delaware. Some of these Wounded Warrior Families were also guests of the OSTD 2014!

DIANE DRULIS FOUNDATION – A special donation has been made to OSTD from the Diane Drulis Foundation fundraiser on 3/21/15. In addition to the donation, the Foundation created and choreographed a special dance dedicated to Wounded Warriors. It was beautifully performed and a tribute to all Veterans. Thank you goes out to the Diane Drulis Foundation for their support of Operation SEAs The Day!

Flags for Heroes

Remembering those who served and Honoring those who served. The Southern Sussex Rotary Club will donate a portion of their donations to Operation SEAs The Day. This will be the first Flags for Heroes by the Southern Sussex Rotary Club. Flags will be placed at Lord Baltimore the week prior to Memorial Day. Go to southernsussexrotary.com for more information.

2015 Official Merchandise

Operation SEAs the Day Official 2015 Merchandise Goes On Sale Soon!

2015 Operation SEAs the Day official merchandise will go on sale soon and be sold throughout the summer at various locations. Upcoming locations include:

• Sea Colony Beach Shoppe: the Sea Colony Beach Shoppe located at Sea Colony Marketplace, Route 1 near Bethany Beach, DE.  2015 OSTD merchandise will be available every Thursday through Monday, from 9 am to 5 pm
• Bethany Beach Books:  located at 99 Garfield Parkway in Bethany Beach
• Bethany Beach Farmers' Market: at the corner of Garfield Parkway and Pennsylvania Avenue
• WSFS BANK:  at 69 Atlantic Avenue (Route 26), Ocean View, DE

Availability dates of merchandise will be announced soon or you can keep up to date on www.operationseastheday.org, Facebook and Twitter.

Several Sponsors Already Onboard!

Support from past as well as new sponsors has been pledged and an updated list will appear on our website later this month on our 2015 sponsors page.

Extra Bonuses

At Operation Seas The Day, we have been rewarded beyond our Warrior Beach Week as we see many families benefiting in an ongoing way beyond the Beach Week. Bonding within families and between families is a bonus to us all as these Heroes continue the healing process. We are also happy to promote and support all of the above community efforts and are gratified by whatever role we play in the increased support our Vets are receiving.