6900 Georgia Avenue NW
Heaton Pavilion, Room 3E05
Washington, D.C. 20307

17 February 2007

Mr. Frank Lasch
President/CEO
Azalea Charities
P.O. Box 579
Dumfries, VA 22026

Dear Mr. Lasch,

This letter is sent to you in appreciation for the many valuable services which the Azalea Charities Aid for Wounded Soldiers project has provided to the wounded service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center.

According to my best calculations, Azalea Charities has provided over 7,000 pieces of phone cards, clothing, electronics, personal care and special request items over a period of three years. The total value of these weekly deliveries is estimated to be more than $95,000. In addition to the remarkable quantity and value of these items is the equally extraordinary consistency of the Azalea team which has never failed to make its deliveries on-target and on time regardless of weather, congestion, presidential visits and other small and large obstacles. I am equally impressed with your dedication to providing only those items which have immediate and urgent use, thereby saving our small volunteer staff from sorting and storing donations of lesser utility.

I realize the enormous effort that such consistent and high quality donations must require on your part. Therefore, I must let you know that whatever effort you make benefits the recovering troops and their visiting loved ones tremendously. Despite your regular trips to Walter Reed and Bethesda, you do not always have the opportunity to witness the joy and satisfaction expressed by the wounded warriors and their families when they receive your donated items. Fresh from the battlefield,disoriented by the new environment of the hospital, separated from their military families, the troops are greatly encouraged by the generosity and thoughtfulness of your donations and by the hope and love which those donations represent. Hope improves morale, and enhanced morale provides a critical aspect of the soldiers' healing process.

Azalea Charities is unique among the many donor groups who have contributed aid and comfort to the wounded and it is a privilege for us to distribute your gifts. The consistency of your contributions, the high quality of your donated goods, your timely responsiveness to emergent needs are not exceeded by any other charity and are a tribute to Azalea Charities' dedication, patriotism and empathy for the wounded of this war. On behalf of these men and women in uniform, thank you for all your efforts.

Sincerely,

Terri Oshiro
American Red Cross Station Manager
Walter Reed Army Medical Center/
National Naval Medical Center