KLBJ-AM Collects Supplies for Troops

Topic: Military-Focused Initiatives

Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, KLBJ-AM in Austin, Texas, has held an annual one-day drive each November to make sure troops from nearby Fort Hood have the means to call home during the holidays. Starting three weeks before "Operation Call Home," the campaign becomes the station’s main focus. Recorded and live promotional announcements play every hour around the clock, raising awareness of soldiers’ needs and directing listeners how to help. The campaign also has a large presence on the KLBJ Web site. On the day of the drive, the station sets up donation points throughout the area, and the morning and afternoon shows broadcast live from the location designated as "Operation Call Home" headquarters. In the past five years, KLBJ listeners have donated more than $250,000 to the effort, providing thousands of soldiers with one-hour calling cards. Each year, after the donations have been totaled, officers from Fort Hood come to the station for a live broadcast during which they share what it means to be able to call home from a war zone and what it means to families to hear their loved one’s voice.

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