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Thank goodness for the little airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Between the breast cancer patient abused by TSA agents last week, and a major star calling out one airline for homophobia, it was about time I heard a happy story out of the friendly skies. And it just so happens that folks in Cedar Rapids are pulling out all the stops on behalf of one mysterious military family.
A year ago, a child lost a Hugs to Go doll at the Eastern Iowa Airport. Dubbed the "huggable picture frame," they're given out by groups like Operation Military Kids to some of the more than 250,000 American kids who have a parent serving our country overseas. The dolls come with a little slot to slip a photo into, and this one had the smiling face of an Army soldier right inside.
But there was no name on the doll.
And so for a year, the doll has sat, waiting for some good Samaritan to place him back in the arms of the little kid he was made to comfort, a kid who very likely doesn't get to spend much time cuddling with Dad because Dad is fighting for our country. That part alone would get me a little verklempt. But what's bringing on the tears for real is the fact that a year later, people are still working to get this doll back to its kid.
Think about how often luggage is lost by an airline, never to be seen again. Huge bags, full of stuff that cost you a pretty penny. And here we've got a tiny doll, which would cost less than $20, and people are bending over backward to make sure it gets home to a kid who is making his or her own major sacrifice for our country: sharing Dad with the world.
The story is now being spread around Facebook with some help from the Iowa National Guard, and the state's Department of Corrections is working to get it out there. You can share it too; if someone can identify the soldier, then hopefully that means identifying his child and reuniting the kid with an item that will give them comfort. If you know the man, call Fred Scaletta at 515-725-5707.
Doesn't this make the skies seem a bit friendlier this week?
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