Hearts From Home

Hearts from Home was created by Holden McLemore in conjunction with the Wake Forest-Rolesville High School Student Government Association (WFRHS SGA).  Holden was looking for a way to involve his fellow students and surrounding community in a project that would honor the families of the brave servicemen and servicewomen who are currently deployed.  In late summer of 2009, Holden visited with Chaplain Larry McCarty at the 82nd Airborne in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.  Col. McCarty shared with him that although families of deployed soldiers are often remembered during major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, Valentine’s Day is a holiday where they are often feel forgotten and often feel the absence of their military loved ones the most.

Holden took the Valentine’s Day idea and turned it into Hearts from Home.  Working with his SGA, he had a paper valentine designed to sell for $1 apiece.  Between the end of January through mid-February, students sell the hearts to both their schoolmates during lunch period and to community members at various restaurant fundraisers.  Wake Forest restaurants such as The Forks, Chik-fil-A and Milton’s Pizza & Pasta also pitched in and gave a portion of their profits to the project.

In its first year, Hearts from Home raised over $2,000!  In 2011, they raised around $3,000.  Those funds were used to host a Fort Bragg party for the families of deployed soldiers in March of 2010 and in April of 2011.  Family members were treated to food, activity stations run by WFRHS students, entertainment by a clown and party bags.

Plans are now in the works for the 2012 Hearts from Home event!  If you would like to purchase paper Valentine hearts or offer to hold a fundraiser for this project, please contact:

Holden McLemore
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Or call 919.218.3977