For the Cox Family Troop Support is a Family Affair

*The Cox Family pictured here from a previous family trip to celebrate matriarch Shirley’s birthday.*

Recently one of our supporters, Kathy Johnson, saw our Troopathon broadcast on Newsmax TV and decided it would be a great idea to incorporate troop support into their annual family reunion. According to Kathy, “Every year we have the COX Games Reunion at my mother’s lake house, who will be turning 93 this December. My mom, Shirley & dad bought and cleaned up the pasture across the road, (about 8 acres) and turned it into a park. We started the COX games around 2003, a few years after my dad passed. We would come for a 3–6-day weekend, staying in campers, tents, in the shed or in mom’s house.”

This year’s reunion was going to be a big one indeed, seeing 160 family members ranging in age from Shirley at 92 all the way down infants, all excited to gather and spend time with family. Spread across 27 campers and 7 tents, the Cox family was ready to have some fellowship and fun.

“Saturday is our game day and after breakfast we start with the National Anthem. From there it’s cross-country bike, running, and walking races, into the powder donut kisses, medallion hunt, making slime, bouncy house, coloring, playing with cousins, swimming, eating, talent show & dancing. The kids have so much fun that they ask mom-gramma Shirley if they could do this more than once a year,” continued Kathy.

“Sunday morning, we have our Church Service, then Pancakes, sausage, bacon & eggs breakfast with homemade chocolate syrup, homemade buttermilk syrup & maple syrup. After cleanup the kids are off playing or swimming. In the afternoon we have water baptism available in the lake, for those who have received Jesus and want to take that next step.”

Prior to Memorial Day, Shirley had undergone successful heart surgery, and while recovering, she and several family members tuned into our Troopathon broadcast on Newsmax TV.

According to Kathy, “As we sat there watching it, we were trying to figure out the best way to get letters from our families involving the kids, to TROOPATHON with donations and came up with the idea of doing it at this year’s COX games Reunion. I contacted TROOPATHON telling them what we’d like to do and when we planned on doing it.”

With the family background of military service, troop support was a natural fit, afterall, Kathy told us, “There were eleven of our family members that served in the military, Six Navy, including Dad (Harold), four grandsons and one granddaughter, and five Army, with one son-in-law, and four grandsons, with two of them serving in a war”

After detailing the plan to the entire enthusiastic family they all took turns getting to work. “The families took turns making cards & a few had brought their own art supplies. Some had to wait for the colors they wanted, because so many wanted the red & blue markers. But even though they had to wait, they were so excited about designing them. The cards were colorful & had beautiful messages inside. These kids (& adults) are talented.”

“We want to thank each one of you who have helped and still are helping with the TROOPATHON project. We appreciate everything you are doing for our soldiers, volunteering your time to put these Care packages together. We’re so glad that Troopathon is there to provide these care packages.”

“We are so thankful for all our military, for all they do to keep our country safe and the sacrifices they make when leaving family behind & putting their lives on the line when they’re called to do so. Thank You.”

In addition to all the beautiful notes, cards and magnets, the Cox family also included a very generous donation which will help us provide care package joy to many of our troops waiting for sponsorship.

We hope you enjoyed the Cox family story, maybe it will inspire some of you out there to share your own stories or inspire your own support efforts.

Troopathon 9/11 Event Coverage

*Special VSP Volunteers pitch in to show their love for our troops during Packathon*

We wanted to share with you some of the great news coverage that we got for our 8th annual Packathon on 9/11. During the event, we partnered with the volunteers of VSP Vision Care and together shipped 2001 care packages and packed another 911. Thank you to the local media that came out to cover the event and shine light on what we were able to accomplish through your support.

Not only does the news coverage show what an amazing day we had on 9/11, it gives you a behind-the-scenes look at our operation and all the amazing sponsors and volunteers that help support our troops. Since so many of you often ask, what do we do at our headquarters, we thought this would provide a special peek inside.

You may not think about them every day, but we still have tens of thousands of troops deployed in hot spots around the world, or adjacent to active conflicts which always have the potential for danger or spillover.

We show our support for our military servicemen and women by any way possible, and the best solution we've found is by sending direct support in the form of military care packages!

When you sponsor a care package, we link up your donation to a soldier, marine, airman, sailor, or coast guard member who has signed up for a care package on our site!

That means every box goes to an individual who signed up. Nobody gets a box that says "to a random soldier." These boxes go to a person who hears his or her name called out at mail call. Ask any veteran. That's a feeling that can't be matched or replaced.

Many of our troops serving today don't come from families that keep in touch. Or maybe the folks back home don't have the time or resources to send a care package.

For some troops, due to unfortunate circumstances, the military is really the only family they have. We want to be there for those troops, especially. Don't let our troops feel like they're all alone out there. Lets send the a reminder that we've got their backs!

Each box is packed up by our team of volunteers. We work with businesses who want to give back or community groups such as schools, martial arts clubs, law enforcement officers, boy scouts, girl scouts, churches, veterans organizations, and so many more. Our volunteers donate hundreds of hours a year packing thousands of boxes and we are so grateful for their efforts.

THANK YOU for being a part of our team and learning a little more about what we do to thank our troops!

Halloween Candy Buy Back Treats for our Troops

Join Troopathon's Halloween Candy Buyback Program by donating excess Halloween candy to be included in military care packages for our troops overseas! Last year, we collected over 30,000 lbs of candy for our brave servicemembers!

We’re thrilled to invite you to participate in our 2025 Halloween Candy Buyback Program (HCBB) to send care packages to military families! Each box we send is hand packed and personally addressed fulfilling a request for support. HCBB amazing support has helped us collect over 30,000 pounds of candy each year, bringing joy to our troops and their families. Whether you’ve joined us in the past or you are thinking of doing it for the first time, we’d love for you to make HCBB 2025 another sweet success!

Program Details:

Sending Candy: Ship by December 31, 2025, keeping candy in its original wrapping (chocolate is welcome!).
Collection Period: Suggested November 1–7, 2025, but you can collect any time before year-end.
Event Ideas for dentists, orthodontists or businesses: Host a Buyback ($1/lb., or give a sticker etc.), Giveback (thank donors), or Sweet Swap (exchange candy for healthy treats).
Shipping Information:

Up to 500 lbs.: Send to our Operation Center:
Troopathon Operation Center
3105 Fite Circle, Suite 108
Sacramento, CA 95827
Contact: Scott Raab, (916) 441-6197 - [email protected]
Over 500 lbs.: Send pallets or large shipments to our warehouse:
Troopathon Warehouse
850 Gray Ave
Yuba City, CA 95991
Contact: Michael Nichols, (530) 632-3597 - [email protected]

Dr. Chan and his dental team’s incredible annual HCBB event helps lead the nation collecting thousands of pound of candy each year for our military

What’s New for 2025:

Media & Events: Boost your impact by inviting local media or military members to your event. Share on social media with @Troopathon and #HCBB, #HCBB2025!
Kids’ Messages & Care Packages: Include notes from children or care package requests with your shipment—we’ll handle the rest.
Beyond Candy: Hygiene items like toothbrushes and toothpaste are greatly appreciated. There is nothing worse than not having a toothbrush while deployed
Program Recap: Register at https://www.troopathon.org/halloween-candy-buyback (click red button that says register - optional) to receive our 2025 recap with total candy collected and troop photos.
Partners and Sponsors: Interested in deeper involvement? Our partners and sponsors are featured in Troopathon’s charity events—contact us to learn more! You can make your annual, quarterly donation/grant help send our troops care packages through Troopathon. Individuals are welcome to send us their left over Halloween treats or look for a local participant in your area to donate your treats to.

Have questions? We’re here to help. Let’s make 2025 the sweetest year yet for our military families!

Bombas Socks Offer Relief for Aching Feet

*Bombas socks are a welcome sight in our Troopathon care packages for our troops.*

“Oh my aching feet!” Our troop spend a lot of time on their feet, and those feet can take a real pounding. It’s important for our troops to stay healthy, in good operational shape and it can all start with proper footwear that protects, cushions and supports.

From carrying back-breaking loads upwards of 70 pounds to logging far more miles than the average person can even imagine, our troops deserve a little pampering. That's why we've included high-quality Bombas socks in our care packages for a limited time.

Bambas socks are designed with comfort and durability in mind, featuring thoughtful design elements like toe seams and slip-resistant technology. In addition to Bombas, Troopathon care packages contain all kinds of goodies to pamper our troops. Our packages include premium coffee, tender beef jerky, energy gels, Gatorade packets, hand and face wipes, candy, nuts, and cookies. All of these items are selected with the specific needs and requests of deployed troops in mind. A simple item like a pair of socks can show our troops that we care. Thanks to a generous donation, we can now give our troops one more way to say "Thanks, we love you!"

Thanks to you, and a generous donation of Bombas premium socks, our care packages offer the extra pampering our troops deserve.

October Photo of the Month

*Deployed National Guard member requests care packages for himself and his team.*

With the holidays approaching I feel some guys will not get anything from back home. These packages will bring some much needed help to their moral. Thank you for what y'all do for us. — Charles M., National Guard Deployed on behalf of his team.