pack 'em up and ship 'em out

When you need to pack and ship supplies for the troops overseas, who better to turn to than material handling and logistics pros? In January, two such companies stepped in to help non-profit groups deliver treats to U.S. soldiers abroad.

Buckhorn Inc., a manufacturer of reusable plastic material handling containers, contributed attached-lid containers to "A Day of Service for Our Military." Operation Gratitude, Serve DC, and Target Corp. teamed up for the event at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington, D.C., packing some 75,000 kits for delivery to soldiers and sailors worldwide. The kits include snacks, entertainment items like music CDs, personal care products, and letters of appreciation. Among the 10,000 volunteers packing the containers were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Jill Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Just a few days later, DHL picked up thousands of deep-dish Chicago-style frozen pizzas on behalf of the Chicago non-profit Pizzas 4 Patriots. DHL's mission: Deliver them to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in time for Super Bowl XLIII celebrations. Pizzas 4 Patriots' director, retired Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Evans, rounded up donations of food, labor, and transportation to make sure the troops would enjoy "a slice of home" in the desert. DHL managed the delivery from start to finish, including re-freezing the pies en route to ensure freshness.