The Friendship Stone Expected To Uplift Soldiers Prior To Leaving For Iraq

May 2, 2008 - PRLog -- Ft. Drum, New York, - - my stone company, creators of the friendship stone announced a donation to the HHD 63rd ORD BN (EOD) Explosive Ordinance Disposal. The Power of Two friendship stones was distributed to each soldier prior to his or her deployment commencing around May 8th, 2008, in a special ceremony on the Ft. Drum military base marking the occasion.  
The Power of Two package contains two hand-selected Tiger’s Eye semi-precious stones with two pouches – one for the soldiers to keep with them during their deployment in Iraq, and the other to give to a loved one they are leaving behind: a child, spouse, parent or friend.
“Each stone symbolizes our recognition of these soldiers as well as the difficulty and challenge of leaving loved ones back at home,” said Cathy Raff, Founder of my stone company. “We hope that whenever they look at the changing appearance of the stone in the light, they will remember that with every dark moment, there is always a ray of light.  Even in times of war and hardships, we hope the stone can transmit the positive energies from their loved ones.”
The Tiger’s Eye, historically, was worn for protection. It is said to be a stone which keeps a constant “eye” on us. Metaphysically, this stone is said to enable the owner to think clearly, and to transform negative thoughts into positive energy. This promotes the attainment of dreams and helps one to judge situations and determine each obstacle in the best way possible.
“The EOD unit locates and neutralizes improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a challenging and dangerous task. The surprise gift of the friendship stone is a wonderful way to show support and appreciation for our soldiers and for the sacrifices they make,” said Jennifer Limerick, Family Readiness Support Assistant of the HHD 63rd ORD BN (Ordinance Battalion).  “These soldiers make huge sacrifices by leaving their family and friends.  With the Power of Two friendship stone, they will now have a physical reminder of that love and devotion no matter what place or circumstance they may find themselves in.”

Some of the activities that occurred on Friday, May 2   were a Change of Command at 10am and a Deployment Ceremony to bid a formal goodbye at 11am. The BBQ was at 12pm with a Family Readiness Group meeting at 6:30pm for the families and loved ones of the battalion.
In support of the service members, my stone company is offering a 15% discount on all purchases of the friendship stone.  Simply write in the word “hero” in the coupon box when ordering: http://www.thefriendshipstone.com  

About my stone company
my stone company, the creators of the friendship stone, was established in 2006 by Cathy Raff after a visit to South Africa where she discovered these special Tiger’s Eye stones. The remarkable beauty of the stone and the ability to change with the rays of light became an inspiration and metaphor for how one chooses to look at what happens to each of us. We encourage the holder of the friendship stone to look for the positive perspective. What started with giving a few stones to a couple of her friends, soon grew into the friendship stone, a meaningful “give-back” gift of love, appreciation and gratitude. For more information, visit: http://www.thefriendshipstone.com

Press contacts:
Jill Raff     
my stone company     
Tel: 917-887-5899     
Email: jill@mystonecompany.com  
Jennifer Limerick
HHD 63rd Ord Bn.
Family Readiness Support
Ft Drum Military Base
Tel: (315) 774-0604
Email: jennifer.r.limerick@us.army.mil

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About my stone company: the friendship stone is the give-back gift that empowers and celebrates friendship.  the friendship stone is a reminder of the connection between friends or someone who has touched our life.  The natural stone's amazing beauty and ability to change depending on the angle upon which it's viewed, is an incredible reminder of the power of choice we each have to choose a positive perspective on whatever happens in our life, as well as the perfection found in each of us.  the friendship stone is all about the joy of giving.  For this reason, we are giving 10% of the profits back to the community in South Africa where Tiger’s Eye is mined to help bring them running water.