The Exchange Club of Springfield has taken on a new project: Photo Pillowcases for the Flat Daddy Program.
The Flat Daddy Project is an effort by the Airman and Family Readiness Program of the Springfield Air National Guard Base to provide a tangible link between the deployed Airman and their family, especially children.
A color photo of the deploying Airman is made and a heat transfer sheet is prepared. The transfer is applied to a pillow case and then placed in a plastic bag for presentation as part of Yellow Ribbon Deployment Ceremony. The child can then have the comfort of “sleeping” with the deployed Airman. There is also a life size cut out photograph of the Airman that can be placed at the dinner table so that the family can “eat” with the Airman.
The Flat Daddy Program pillowcases were distributed March 4th for the Yellow Ribbon Deployment Ceremony, in preparation for the upcoming deployment in May and again in July, with a total of 160 Airman being deployed.
The military provided the transfer sheets, photos of the Airmen, and the heat press. The Exchange Club of Springfield provided the pillowcases, labor for heat press process and packaging of the pillowcases for the March 4th deployment event.
The Club’s Americanism Project Committee was recognized by the Base for their efforts. The Exchange Club of Springfield was chartered in 1921 and is part of the National Exchange Club with over 20,000 members nationwide. The four pillars of Exchange are Youth, Community Service, Americanism and our National project, the Prevention of Child Abuse. The local Club supports some 40 different organizations in Springfield and Clark County, with funding and labor. For more information on Springfield Exchange visit our website www.springfieldexchangeclub.org or find us on facebook.