We received the following thank you note from US Marine PFC Matthew Amperano after receiving his Shoeboxes For Soldiers care package, thanks to the generous donations of The Herd – who once again came through for our deployed men and women, even in a pandemic year:

Dear 95.3 The Bull,

Hello, my name is Matthew Amperano I am a PFC in the United States Marine Corps and I’m writing to you because I have just received your Care Package. The Package was sent out a while ago, on December 15th, 2020 to be exact. Today is February 3rd, 2021, and I have finally received your package. The address that it was sent to originally was a schoolhouse for my job with the Marines and I was not present when it was delivered. Thankfully they found my address here in North Carolina CherryPoint and sent it over. Today on Feb 3rd I am glad I have received this package.

Today was a rough day for all of us and we were working extra hours and staying late. I was tired and my mind was exhausted, all together we were in low morale and just wanting to get the job done. All in all, wanting to go back to the barracks. While working I received this package not knowing what it was at all, It was a huge surprise, it was like a present. But it doesn’t even compare to the shock I had when I opened it and saw it was from a Radio Station. I mean c’mon a Radio Station? I never get chosen for anything! I couldn’t believe it, and when I told my fellow Marines they couldn’t believe it either. I wanted to fully open it right then and there but we had to finish the task at hand, therefore I put it aside and waited until I got back to my room in the barracks.

When I was finally in my room I opened the box to see all of the contents and of course, the first thing I saw was the paper that explained your program. I think this program is amazing and I fully support it. I have some friends that are all the way across the world right now and I can’t even imagine how they feel. My position isn’t as bad… luckily. My whole life I grew up in California and sadly I am now in North Carolina (all the way across the country) The state itself isn’t bad but homesickness is a real thing and we all deal with it.
But receiving this package shows me that we are not alone and that there are people out there that support us and want to help us and I thank you for that.

I’ll be honest I’ve never even been to Illinois before but I can now honestly say I’m a fan of The Bull.

THANKS AGAIN,
PFC AMPERANO, MATTHEW