On March 26, 2003, three Monona, Wis., women, frustrated with a lack of support for troops shown amidst the media coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom, set out to give local residents a way to show their support for America's troops. (Read tips on how to plan a rally like they did by clicking here.) Deb Hansen of Monona initially struck on the idea of lining Monona Drive with yellow ribbons. After a conversation with local city councilwoman Lisa Nelson, the two decided to make the statement bigger and invite others to join in on their We Support Our Troops celebration. That night they called me, a local war history author, and I jumped at the chance to help organize a Support Our Troops rally. Given the media coverage and the anti-war fervor filling the airwaves that week, we wanted to host a rally quickly to get the message to America's troops that people at home supported them and the sacrifices they're making. We decided to plan a non-political Support Our Troops rally for that Saturday, March 29, with the idea that whether you supported the decision to go to war or not, you should still support our troops fighting in it. What followed was three days of intense but rewarding planning, some hard labor on Saturday morning for us and our spouses, and an overwhelming show of support that day. Some 400 ralliers turned out with flags and photos of loved ones in the Armed services, with signs that said "We Support Our Troops" and voices united to send that message to those facing combat in Iraq at that moment. (See rally photos here.) We invited a former Vietnam prisoner of war to read the names of those who had died or who were taken prisoner in Operation Iraqi Freedom. We had a volunteer band play national songs, and a trumpeter play Taps. We invited the crowd to take the 1,000 small yellow ribbons we'd cut and tie them to branches of nearby trees in honor of the Dane County men and women currently deployed. And, we stood along Monona Drive urging motorists to "Honk for the Troops and for Their Freedom." (Read our rally schedule here.) We enjoyed good media coverage from local TV, radio and newspapers. More importantly, photos and videos of the rally were saved onto a CD which was routed to American troops overseas through the USO. After the fever-pitched planning we had to do to pull off a successful rally in such a short time, we thought other planners might benefit from what we learned. The following are some tips to help you plan a Support Our Troops rally. SOME RALLY PLANNING TIPS Start planning early, at least 1 to 2 weeks out if you can, though as we did, spontaneous enthusiasm and be a force to get things done in a hurry. Find co-organizers to pitch in Pick a location, preferably a public location or get written permission from owners. Check with City Hall for any necessary permits Notify Local Police about the rally and guestimate the size of the crowd (with 3 days notice we had 400 turn out in Monona) Develop a parking and traffic flow plan, keeping safety in mind and always over-estimating the crowd size so you're prepared for the best/worst Contact Diggers Hotline (2 weeks in advance if possible) if you wish to set up flags or other displays that will require pounding into the ground. Notify neighboring businesses and homes of your rally Create Posters, flyers, postcards and press releases. See samples, click here. Distribute posters, flyers to local businesses, and on local signs, community access cable calendars, etc. Contact media and send press releases. Try to get on radio/TV in advance. Also, be sure they know about the event to cover it. Hint: Send a release to a specific person at each media outlet and also call that person the next day to ensure they got it. Contact local VFWs, American Legions and Military family support organizations and ask them to help get the word out to their members. Send information via email and phone to everyone you can think of - such as soldier support group members, area residents, your friends and neighbors. Then ask them to do the same. Get the word out to as many people as you can. Designate someone to take photos and write up cutlines (with names of those in photo, with their permission) to send to newspapers not able to attend, and to post on the Internet. Designate helpers; you'll need them. For example, designate someone to direct parking; someone to take down names of ralliers who wish to speak at the microphone, someone to hand out rally signs, etc. Find a sound system/microphone and stage (a stage could be a flatbed trailer, scaffolding or actual stage). (Note: some local businesses may be willing to donate these or many items are rentable.) Find a band or patriotic music to play Plan program. You can read our rally schedule outline by clicking here. However, some general ideas would be to keep the actual talking/formal program to not longer than 30 to 60 minutes (people get tired of standing around). The program should include opportunities for people to shout their support, cheer, and even sing a patriotic song or two. We also allowed audience members to come up to the microphone to speak a message in support of the troops or a specific service member. And, we gave people time to tie yellow ribbons in symbolic support and to stand and wave near the street corner (but not out on the street). Decorate the site simply but effectively with flags, yellow ribbons, support signs. DAY OF EVENT Be there a minimum of 1 hour ahead because people arrive early. Be set up and ready by 30 minutes ahead. (Note: depending on your decorations and program plans, set up may take several hours) Program. Designate an emcee/master of ceremonies to keep the program running. Handle hecklers/protestors by ignoring them. Don't get into a shouting match; don't threaten, don't confront, and encourage other ralliers to ignore them as well. Remember, you want a peaceful rally. If protestors get out of hand, the police will handle it. If you feel a protestor is stepping over the line, go to the police. Also, remind rally attendees at the beginning and during the rally of the peaceful purpose of the rally. Finish when you say you will so that local law enforcement can maintain their schedules. Celebrate! FOLLOW UP Meet to discuss what went well, what to do better next time, etc. Follow up on news coverage and send Letters to the Editor to local papers if necessary, etc. Post your rally on your own or other Web sites, like this one. (Click here to send us rally pictures, news.) Send rally pictures to troops so they can see how many people support them. Send thank yous to co-organizers and donating businesses, etc. Click here to see a sample. |
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We'd be happy to share our rally planning experiences with you! Email us at: |
PLAN A RALLY |
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS |
PLAN A RALLY |
Essentials Check List |
Get permission Contact police Get the word out Plan a short program Get microphone Have signs Follow up |
We'd be happy to share our rally planning experiences with you! Email us at: |
Return to Home Page The Hero Next DoorTM |
On March 26, 2003, three Monona, Wis., women, frustrated with a lack of support for troops shown amidst the media coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom, set out to give local residents a way to show their support for America's troops. (Read tips on how to plan a rally like they did by clicking here.) Deb Hansen of Monona initially struck on the idea of lining Monona Drive with yellow ribbons. After a conversation with local city councilwoman Lisa Nelson, the two decided to make the statement bigger and invite others to join in on their We Support Our Troops celebration. That night they called me, a local war history author, and I jumped at the chance to help organize a Support Our Troops rally. Given the media coverage and the anti-war fervor filling the airwaves that week, we wanted to host a rally quickly to get the message to America's troops that people at home supported them and the sacrifices they're making. We decided to plan a non-political Support Our Troops rally for that Saturday, March 29, with the idea that whether you supported the decision to go to war or not, you should still support our troops fighting in it. What followed was three days of intense but rewarding planning, some hard labor on Saturday morning for us and our spouses, and an overwhelming show of support that day. Some 400 ralliers turned out with flags and photos of loved ones in the Armed services, with signs that said "We Support Our Troops" and voices united to send that message to those facing combat in Iraq at that moment. (See rally photos here.) We invited a former Vietnam prisoner of war to read the names of those who had died or who were taken prisoner in Operation Iraqi Freedom. We had a volunteer band play national songs, and a trumpeter play Taps. We invited the crowd to take the 1,000 small yellow ribbons we'd cut and tie them to branches of nearby trees in honor of the Dane County men and women currently deployed. And, we stood along Monona Drive urging motorists to "Honk for the Troops and for Their Freedom." (Read our rally schedule here.) We enjoyed good media coverage from local TV, radio and newspapers. More importantly, photos and videos of the rally were saved onto a CD which was routed to American troops overseas through the USO. After the fever-pitched planning we had to do to pull off a successful rally in such a short time, we thought other planners might benefit from what we learned. The following are some tips to help you plan a Support Our Troops rally. SOME RALLY PLANNING TIPS Start planning early, at least 1 to 2 weeks out if you can, though as we did, spontaneous enthusiasm and be a force to get things done in a hurry. Find co-organizers to pitch in Pick a location, preferably a public location or get written permission from owners. Check with City Hall for any necessary permits Notify Local Police about the rally and guestimate the size of the crowd (with 3 days notice we had 400 turn out in Monona) Develop a parking and traffic flow plan, keeping safety in mind and always over-estimating the crowd size so you're prepared for the best/worst Contact Diggers Hotline (2 weeks in advance if possible) if you wish to set up flags or other displays that will require pounding into the ground. Notify neighboring businesses and homes of your rally Create Posters, flyers, postcards and press releases. See samples, click here. Distribute posters, flyers to local businesses, and on local signs, community access cable calendars, etc. Contact media and send press releases. Try to get on radio/TV in advance. Also, be sure they know about the event to cover it. Hint: Send a release to a specific person at each media outlet and also call that person the next day to ensure they got it. Contact local VFWs, American Legions and Military family support organizations and ask them to help get the word out to their members. Send information via email and phone to everyone you can think of - such as soldier support group members, area residents, your friends and neighbors. Then ask them to do the same. Get the word out to as many people as you can. Designate someone to take photos and write up cutlines (with names of those in photo, with their permission) to send to newspapers not able to attend, and to post on the Internet. Designate helpers; you'll need them. For example, designate someone to direct parking; someone to take down names of ralliers who wish to speak at the microphone, someone to hand out rally signs, etc. Find a sound system/microphone and stage (a stage could be a flatbed trailer, scaffolding or actual stage). (Note: some local businesses may be willing to donate these or many items are rentable.) Find a band or patriotic music to play Plan program. You can read our rally schedule outline by clicking here. However, some general ideas would be to keep the actual talking/formal program to not longer than 30 to 60 minutes (people get tired of standing around). The program should include opportunities for people to shout their support, cheer, and even sing a patriotic song or two. We also allowed audience members to come up to the microphone to speak a message in support of the troops or a specific service member. And, we gave people time to tie yellow ribbons in symbolic support and to stand and wave near the street corner (but not out on the street). Decorate the site simply but effectively with flags, yellow ribbons, support signs. DAY OF EVENT Be there a minimum of 1 hour ahead because people arrive early. Be set up and ready by 30 minutes ahead. (Note: depending on your decorations and program plans, set up may take several hours) Program. Designate an emcee/master of ceremonies to keep the program running. Handle hecklers/protestors by ignoring them. Don't get into a shouting match; don't threaten, don't confront, and encourage other ralliers to ignore them as well. Remember, you want a peaceful rally. If protestors get out of hand, the police will handle it. If you feel a protestor is stepping over the line, go to the police. Also, remind rally attendees at the beginning and during the rally of the peaceful purpose of the rally. Finish when you say you will so that local law enforcement can maintain their schedules. Celebrate! FOLLOW UP Meet to discuss what went well, what to do better next time, etc. Follow up on news coverage and send Letters to the Editor to local papers if necessary, etc. Post your rally on your own or other Web sites, like this one. (Click here to send us rally pictures, news.) Send rally pictures to troops so they can see how many people support them. Send thank yous to co-organizers and donating businesses, etc. Click here to see a sample. |
