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DAR Sets
Guinness World Record for Patriotism
Fort GreeneVille Chapter Helps DAR Collect 100,904 Letters to Military
Personnel in One Month
To celebrate the National Society’s 125th Anniversary and the
culmination of the Celebrate America! volunteer service initiative, the
DAR channeled its fervor for patriotism and dedicated support of our
nation’s military service members toward an ambitious goal. During the
week of the 125th Continental Congress, held in June at DAR’s
Washington, D.C., headquarters, the organization set an official
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title in patriotism for “most letters to
military personnel collected in one month.”
DAR members possess an unwavering patriotic devotion that spans the
organization’s 125-year history. During the past three years alone,
Daughters have devoted more than 2.2 million hours of service to
veterans, honored more than 288,000 Vietnam War veterans, and donated
more than $250,000 in support of active duty service members and their
families. The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM attempt served as a test: Could
the membership exceed its already high standards of support for our
military?
Achieving this ambitious goal required the National Society to collect
and then mail at least 10,000 letters to active-duty service members.
Daughters across the country rallied in support of the effort. Members
of Fort GreeneVille in Greenville, Ohio, contributed by collecting
letters to add to the total. Many DAR members wrote personal messages
along with family and friends submitting letters.
As dictated by the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM guidelines, all letters had
to be handwritten, addressed to an active duty service member, placed
inside a stamped, unsealed envelope, and delivered in person to one of
the designated stations set up at DAR Headquarters. OSDAR Regent
brought the chapter’s letters to Washington, D.C., and hand-delivered
them to a collection station. Letters of appreciation filled more and
more boxes as the week progressed, and an official GUINNESS WORLD
RECORDSTM adjudicator arrived to conduct the verification process.
The carefully tallied total was revealed at the National Defense Night
ceremony on Saturday, June 18, 2016. As thousands in attendance waited
to learn the outcome of the attempt, members surprised them by carrying
in box after box to give a visual representation of how many letters
were submitted. The adjudicator took the stage to announce the results
using a number tally on the big screen. Cheers increased as soon as the
number topped 10,000, but then the audience, including the night’s
special guests, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald and the
USO President and CEO, Dr. J.D. Crouch, all went wild when the tally
surpassed 100,000. The DAR had collected 100,904 letters, more than 10
times the minimum threshold needed to set the record for most letters
to military personnel collected in one month!
“Congratulations—you are officially amazing!” the adjudicator
proclaimed.
This record-setting achievement provides the latest measure of the
collective force of the DAR’s appreciation for the United States
Military, while simultaneously fostering human connection between the
American people and those who defend our freedom. As devoted stewards
of the legacy of the Revolutionary War generation, Daughters feel
equally compelled to express appreciation for the valor, sacrifice and
commitment of today’s active-duty service members. Each letter
represents the support of a grateful nation, and Fort GreeneVille
Chapter is humbled by the opportunity to assist in collecting these
missives to the defenders of our country.
By the end of June, all 100,904 letters will be on the way to
active-duty military personnel serving both at home and abroad. May
their handwritten messages of gratitude and encouragement cheer the
spirits of those who have raised their right hand and sworn to defend
and protect the United States of America.
About DAR
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded
in 1890 to preserve the memory and spirit of those who contributed to
securing American independence. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless
of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent
from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership.
DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations
with nearly 183,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide.
These members passionately carry out the timeless mission of promoting
historic preservation, education and patriotism. To learn more about
the work of today’s DAR, visit www.dar.org.
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