ROCK ISLAND, Illinois -- The ninth annual "Cards for Troops" event had its most successful year yet.
The event was held at the Rock Island Arsenal Tuesday, September 27, 2016, and more than 300 volunteers put together beautiful cards for different holidays, birthdays, or life events to send to troops overseas.
The cards are blank when soldiers receive them, allowing them to write their own messages and send them out to loved ones throughout the year.
"It's all about the troops, it's not about quantity, it's just about the troops and we want to honor them and honor their families," said Cards for Troops founder Mary Sue Sipple.
In 2015, volunteers made more than 10,200 cards, which were sent around to places including Iraq, Jordan, and even a Naval ship at sea. In 2016, organizers say that 11,700 cards were made.
Over the nine years the event has been taking place, volunteers have created 57,799 cards.
This year's cards will be sent to men and women serving in the Middle East, Germany, and on the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower Aircraft Carrier.
