Redbox Donates 10,000 DVDs to U.S. Troops Abroad

Redbox has pledged to donate more than 10,000 DVDs through 2013 to American soldiers serving overseas. The program is inspired by the mission of a World War II veteran, Hyman Strachman and his family, to provide entertainment to the troops. Redbox is carrying out this program with support from Packages From Home, Operation Gratitude and the USO.

The idea of DVDs to entertain soldiers came up when the dedicated 93-year-old war veteran Strachman and his family got in touch with Redbox leaders. The company was inspired by the idea and decided to leverage its DVD collection to give shape to this program. The donation program launched during the holiday season and will continue through 2013 in partnership with Packages From Home.

Packages From Home is a nonprofit involved in the delivery of care packages to deployed American military troops. It also helps put together activities to boost the morale of veterans. Redbox has already sent nearly 6,000 DVDs to forward-deployed troops throughout Kandahar in Afghanistan, and plans to donate DVDs regularly through Packages From Home. For the holiday celebrations, the employees from the company created care packages that included a donation of over 1,500 DVDs for Operation Gratitude.

Anne Saunders, president of Redbox, said: "Movies offer a special connection to home, especially around the holiday season. We're humbled by the opportunity to elevate Mr. Strachman's mission by providing even more movies and hours of entertainment to our troops.Sending movies to the troops is just one way Redbox is sharing our gratitude for their service."

Movies are one of the most accessible forms of entertainment for the troops who are in need of such diversions to keep themselves relaxed and entertained. The soldiers usually watch the movies at social events or utilize them as opportunities to have shared experiences with their families and friends back home.