Happy Birthday, Mike

Sgt. Michael Stokely
April 19, 1982 - August 16, 2005

From his father Robert in August of 2009:

I thought about the kids in Yusufiyah who were so happy last year to get school supplies from the Mike Stokely Foundation, and the student at Georgia Military College who was the first recipient of the Mike Stokely Memorial Scholarship endowed by funds raised in the "Ride to Remember...." two years ago, and the one for this coming year.

I thought about young children in need who got a book a month this past year to help them get a boost in life with reading skills, and wondered about a group of children whose socio-economic situation was pretty grim and were elated to get a book from the Mike Stokely Foundation for a birthday present (some the only present they got that day).

I thought about several hundred inner-city kids who come to an annual Christmas Party called Flight to the North Pole and their gift bags contain a book from the Mike Stokely Foundation. I thought back to 1983 when I first got involved with the Flight to the North Pole and the many times Mike came to help with that annual party, even after he was grown.

I thought about the MilBlog community and friends I have come to know through Mike's death. I thought about all my Soldier's Angels including head Angel, Patti Bader.

I thought about all of Mike's former unit, E 108 CAV 48th Brigade GAARNG, many who now continue to serve and are deployed to Afghanistan and a good number of those are with Bravo 2 / 121 INF 48th Brigade GAARNG in Afghanistan.

I thought about the opportunity I was given to serve as Co-Chair of Bravo 2 / 121 Family Readiness Group.

I thought about how this came about because of Mike.

And there are so many other things that Mike's sacrifice has brought my way.

Hughes, Ark., native, Staff Sgt. James Robinson, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, hands out school materials donated by the Mike Stokely Foundation at a school in Mullah Fayad, March 27. (U.S. Army photo/Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback)

Today, from David Marron of The Thunder Run:

In honor of Mike and all of the fallen, I would like to ask you on this day his birthday to make a donation to the Mike Stokely Foundation, Inc.

Founded on the Stokely Family home in Sharpsburg GA in the first few hours after his family learned of his death. The Foundation was formed to allow those who wished to show their appreciation for Mike's sacrifice and support for his family through donating to help kids in need have books and kids to go to college. Since then the Foundation goals have expanded through the various programs, including the Yusufiyah Project to help the poor kids where Mike served and was killed to have school supplies and partnered with Atlanta based Chick-fil-A to raise money to assist the family of seriously wounded soldier in Afghanistan, SFC Mark Allen who had served in 2005 with Mike in Iraq. Your donation makes these projects possible and you can be assured that your money goes for the purpose you select, not for operational and administrative expenses as the Stokely Family pays those expenses.

More about Mike, and the Mike Stokely Foundation at The Thunder Run.

Happy Birthday, Mike. We will love and remember you always.