(PRWEB) March 18, 2005

Country music star Travis Tritt will join the Special Operations Warrior Foundation April 24 in honoring the men who bravely volunteered to rescue American hostages being held in Iran 25 years ago. The secret rescue mission, nicknamed Eagle Claw, attempted to rescue the 53 Americans being held hostage in a heavily guarded embassy compound by Iranian militants.

But a tragic aircraft collision between an MH-53 helicopter and an Air Force C-130 resulted in eight service members being killed and several others injured in the Iranian desert. The service members left behind 17 children. The tragic accident had a profound impact on the special operations community and also resulted in the Special Operations Warrior Foundation being founded.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Tampa, provides college education grants to the children of special operations personnel killed in an operational mission or a training accident.    

Today the Warrior Foundation has 540 children in its program and 92 students enrolled in colleges and universities across the country. Travis Tritt, who has been called “one of country music’s most soulful and versatile vocalists” by Billboard, will be performing several songs during the commemorative dinner. Tritt, who has performed for the USO, is a big supporter of the military.

“Our troops are willing to put their lives on the line to protect our freedom and spending time with them is a privilege,” said Tritt in a Washington Times article about the Spirit of America Tour in 2003.

Joining Tritt will be rising country artist, Keni Thomas. Thomas, a former Army Ranger who fought in the now-famous battle depicted in the book and movie, “Black Hawk Down,” has a new country CD, “Flags of Our Fathers” which is benefiting the Warrior Foundation and its scholarship program.

“The Special Operations Warrior Foundation is honored to have the support and generosity of both Travis Tritt and Keni Thomas,” said SOWF President/CEO John T. Carney, Jr. “Not only does their participation in this event help raise funds to provide the opportunity for a college education for some very deserving children, but it also serves as a reminder to our deployed troops that they, and their families, are not forgotten.”

The Eagle Claw 25th Anniversary Commemorative Dinner is open to the public and will be attended by the many participants in the complex hostage rescue attempt as well as the family members of those who were killed in the tragic aircraft accident.

In addition to recognizing the courage and bravery of the men who participated in the hostage rescue mission, the Warrior Foundation will be presenting Ross Perot with the “Spirit of the Warrior Award” for his continued support of special operations personnel.

The dinner is being held at the Emerald Coast Conference Center, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. April 24, 2005. Dinner starts at 7:00 pm. General admission tickets, $ 75 per person, are available online at http://www.acteva.com//booking.cfm?bevaID=80271

For additional information about the Warrior Foundation visit http://www.specialops.org or call Edie Rosenthal at (813) 805-9400.

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Related Thomas The Train Books Press Releases

In today’s electronic driven society, it seems that the once popular toy train has become yet a thing of the past. Today’s children want iPods, video games, and even cell phones before they’re even 10 years old.  There is however a little toy train you may have heard about that continues to bring smiles and happiness to children all over the world, even in a time where toy trains seem to have been long forgotten.
Thomas the Tank Engine!

Thomas the Tank Engine was introduced in 1946 in the second book of a series called “Thomas the Tank Engine.” Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue with red lining, and displays the number one. All of the trains portrayed in The Railway Series were based on prototypical engines; Thomas has origins in the E2 Class designed by Lawson Billinton in 1913.

Thomas and Friends started as a children’s show in 1984 and has since grown into a huge lucrative business of toys and merchandise for children. The shows main focus is on teaching  young children to count, spell, and even learn some basic history lessons they wouldn’t learn until entering school. Since Thomas is a train, children have a better ability to exercise their imaginations and gain appreciation for simpler activities that many adults once knew as children.

The little toy trains in Thomas were designed with young children in mind as a unique way of grabbing their attention. Today the wooden toy trains found in Thomas the Tank Engine resemble the same basic wooden trains played with by adults when they were young. The cars can be seen painted eye-catching shades of red, blue, green, and yellow, and often come with cute little wooden blocks to carry as “freight”.

Thomas the Tank Engine makes a wide variety of  other accessories to go along with the toy trains.  Some of their more Deluxe Stations are very popular among children  as they engage small minds with realistic sounds of whistles and movement helping children’s imaginations to run free.

The Deluxe Stations also come with several friends children love to play with such as Max and Monty. These two twin brother dump trucks teach children the importance of sharing.  The brothers think they’re experts in construction and have a tendency of bossing around the smaller machines, but in the end they always learn to share their space.

My children have been fans of Thomas the Tank Engine. He is just one of the many great toys that will last a lifetime. Toys should be fun and educational experience for our youngsters. Children many times don’t realize it, but they learn a number of things– colors, shapes, small motor skills, communication, real-life experiences, etc. while in play. 

Thomas has been bringing joy to children for many generations.   Maybe it’s the simple layout of the show and story books that captivate small minds or maybe it’s the simple character faces easily recognizable for small children. Nevertheless I think Thomas the Tank Engine may continue to win the hearts of many more generations of children to come!

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FIND MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS AT www.lotsoftoytrains.com or Call Toll Free 888-300-3455 to Order Now. It’s the greatest toy train DVD adventure ever produced! No other one on the market is better! Visit www.lotsoftoytrains.com or call Toll-Free 888-300-3455 – This family DVD makes a great gift for a child or grandchild or even Dad for birthday holiday or playtime. This family DVD is packed with lots of model railroad action and fun sing-a-long songs from musician James Coffey. Featuring the biggest assortment of toy trains we’ve ever recorded! No matter what your age, if you love model railroads we guarantee you’ll love the trains in this first volume! Its full of the most colorful and enchanting model railroads youll find anywhere! From Christmas trains and Halloween trains to Little Brick Lego Trains and Big Garden Trains youll be thrilled to see all the award-winning toy train layouts in this exciting collection! We’ll also show you trains from the world famous TOY TRAIN BARN in Argyle Wisconsin and TRAINFEST, the largest operating railroad show in America, plus trains from the CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN and THE MORTON ARBORETUM!! Youll see large scale scenic garden trains and trains you can even ride, plus tons of colorful steam and diesel trains all while you watch the exciting live-motion accessories in action! Whether big or small this video has them all! Hear the whistle blow as our cameras take you on a magical journey through the countryside steaming by snow covered …

I4U News Features The Great Kat In “The Great Kat ‘Beethoven’s Guitar Shred’ DVD Perfect Holiday Gift For Rocker In Your Life&quot

I4U NEWS FEATURES THE GREAT KAT IN “THE GREAT KAT ‘BEETHOVEN’S GUITAR SHRED’ DVD PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR ROCKER IN YOUR LIFE. This DVD will make the Rocker in Your Life Happy at the Holidays.”

“The Great Kat ‘Beethoven’s Guitar Shred’ is the perfect gift to impress any rocker on your list. The Great Kat is a Juilliard trained violinist turned shredder. And she is fast. She takes Beethoven’s music to all new rock -n-roll heights. She is cool and your rocker would love to get this DVD for the Holidays. This is a DVD that is going to impress the rocker in your life this Holiday season.”

- Susan McGlaun, I4U News

http://www.i4u.com/40978/great-kat-beethovens-guitar-shred-dvd-perfect-holiday-gift-rocker-your-life

 The Great Kat Web Site: greatkat.com

“Beethoven’s Guitar Shred” DVD features The Great Kat’s (World’s Fastest Guitarist/Juilliard Graduate Violin Virtuoso/“Top 10 Fastest Shredders Of All Time”-Guitar One Magazine)unique and phenomenal shred guitar & violin virtuosity on Classical Masterpieces from Beethoven, Bach, Paganini, Rimsky-Korsakov, Bazzini and Rossini.(Now available on iTunes):

Beethoven’s “5th Symphony” (The MOST famous notes in Classical Music!)
“The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee” (performed at 300 BPM!)
Paganini’s “Caprice #24″ (Kat Shreds on VIOLIN & GUITAR!)
Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto #3″ (Kat Shreds on 6 guitars!)
Plus insane metal music videos (blood, torture and mayhem!) 

For review copies of The Great Kat’s “Beethoven’s Guitar Shred” DVD,

Contact:  Karen Thomas, Thomas PR, 631-549-7578

“Beethoven’s Guitar Shred” DVD is distributed worldwide by MVD and is now available through major retail stores, iTunes and other online stores, with a Suggested Retail Price of .95.

Unleash the Creativity of Children with Thomas the Train Wooden Toys

Toys can fire up the imagination of children.  However, not all toys are created equal.  Some toys are highly educational and enjoyable for children while there are toys that have very little educational value.  If you want to unleash the creativity of your child, then a Thomas the Train wooden toy set is one of you best options.  Thomas toys are considered by the children as the rock star of toy trains.  These toys are extremely popular simply because they are very attractive, colorful, and fun to play with.  Your child will surely enjoy assuming the role of a track controller while playing with Thomas and other friendly trains.  Most important of all, Thomas and Friends toy sets are gender neutral.  Little boys and girls could play with them for hours on end.

Thomas toys sets will open the mind of your child to the wonderful world of colors.  Because every Thomas the train wooden toy comes in a full range of colors, your child will be able to easily learn how to identify colors.  For example, the exciting Thomas at the Sodor Fair set consists of 38 pieces of different colorful blocks and pieces.  This set comes with a fully decorated Thomas, a working Ferris wheel, ramps, tents, and connecting blocks.  Each piece is beautifully colored in red, yellow, green, orange, and many more.  So it would be easier for your child to discern different kinds of colors.  Learning would be more exciting for your child because the Thomas, the main character of the set, is elegantly decorated.  So aside from giving your child a train set that he or she can fully enjoy, you are also providing great opportunities for learning.

Aside from learning different kinds of colors, the Thomas toys train sets can nurture the imagination of your child.  In the example above, the Thomas at the Sodor Fair is fully buildable.  A child can build the track and set up the Ferris wheel.  The track can be connected on the Ferris wheel while the tent and the pillars of the track can be assembled easily.  At first, you may need to help your child to build the Thomas the Train wooden set.  After this, you have to allow him to experiment with the set.  Let him do what he wants with the design and arrangement in order to encourage critical thinking.  Other Thomas and Friends sets can also have this kind of impact for every child.  The train set will develop the mental and motor coordination of your child and enhance his sense of aesthetics.

Lastly, the Thomas toys train sets will give your child the opportunity to learn different shapes.  Remember that a Thomas the Train wooden set is not only made from mono blocks.  Each piece comes in different shapes and designs.  This is the reason why the Thomas train set can teach your child how to identify a circle, square, rectangle, and oblong.  So if you want to nurture the creative spirit of your child and to develop his mental faculties, then the Thomas and Friends train sets are the best toys that you can give for him.

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Wooden Thomas Trains have captivated the hearts of millions of children throughout many years.  Thomas and friends have remained true friends of children, standing the test of time.  The television show and the books centered around Thomas the Tank Engine entertain children and parents alike. With a wooden Thomas railway your child can bring to life these well known stories.

When you buy a wooden railway track you are providing hours of play for your child.  The tracks are expandable, giving endless possibilities for your child to create his or her very own Island of Sodor.  There are plenty of wooden trains, or friends, that can be purchased to keep Thomas company:  Bash, Billy, Whiff, Stanley, Toby the Tram Engine, and many more.  There are also various track sets available by Learning Curve to expand upon your child’s wooden railway: Quarry Adventures Set, Roundhouse Set, Boulder Mountain Set, and Down by the Docks Set just to name a few.

The wooden railway and Thomas and friends are built with North American Maple.  They are made to stand the test of time and are durable enough for even the toughest of little engineers.  Because this toy will last, it will likely be passed from one generation to the next.  Your child will learn the art of self directed play along with developing cognitive and social skills.

The Thomas the Tank Engine sets are geared towards beginning engineers, intermediate engineers, and even advanced engineers.  Be sure to purchase a set that is appropriate for your child’s stage of development and age.  Your child can reenact the adventures he reads in the stories our watches on the television with his wooden Thomas railway.  He or She is free to be the architect, creating whatever comes to the imagination.

While playing with Thomas and friends, your child will learn the value of friendship, cooperation, and sharing.  These are values that he or she will carry throughout life.  The fact that the wooden railway is ever expanding shows that this is a toy that will not likely be forgotten.  Your child will never become bored with the Thomas the Tank Engine wooden railway system.  It won’t be shoved to the back of the closet or the bottom of a toy bin.  You can even buy play tables and play boards on which to place the tracks.  The play tables can also serves as a means for organizing the toys, which helps when mom has to clean!

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Boys tend to play with them more with toys than girls do, but almost universally toys for children are loved and treasured. Why is that? What is the fascination with toys for children? Which ones should you buy as a gift, and which ones should be avoided? What does a toy mean to a child? Can playing with toys for children help teach kids cooperation? Can little kids learn to follow instructions more accurately by learning how trains operate?

There are no perfect answers to any of these questions, but still they are important and helpful to look at, especially for parents with a kid who adores toys for children.

Let us take a look at Thomas the Train for a moment. This is by far the most popular train/character for the younger crowd of train lovers. The Thomas franchise has cornered the market on toys for children with human personalities.

The world of Thomas the Train is huge, busy, fun, and filled with lessons. Each train/character has a unique job and a special purpose. A child who plays with Thomas the train is not just playing with a train, he or she enters a huge new world and is laying down tracks to learning about friendships and relationships.

Thomas the Train lives and works on the mythical island of Sodor, and so every child then has a special place to visit in their imagination when playing with Thomas toy trains. This new world, this endless field of possiblity is one of the reason’s children love to play with toy trains. And Thomas the Tank Engine directly helps foster the ability to get alogn with others because of the lessons Thomas learns in the books. Thomas is always learning something new in every book.

But also, playing with Thomas, and with almost any other toys for children is a great way to improve cooperation simply because of the symbolism involved.

The reason toys for children teach children about cooperation is simple: Toys need more than one person to run and to organize. Playing with toy cars is different because all you need is one driver. But playing with toys for children can lend itself to cooperative efforts like no other toys out there.

Kids are fascinated by the motion of toys for children and the way the fit together. Tehre fore, trains teach the power of staying in a line during an outing. You need an engine, middle cars, passengers and a caboose. By playing with trains, kids learn as if by osmosis the importance of following and keeping on track.

This ability will help on any field trips, on family outings, on class projects and any time when following and cooperation is needed. The lessons kids learn by playing with toys for children can go far beyond what is on the surface. But you must be open to such lessons, and be willing to help your child open to them also.

If you have young children, especially toddlers, you may want to look at introducing them to wood trains. Kids can learn coordination skills by moving and maneuvering the trains on the tracks. There are many different manufactures of quality wood train toys. There are two immensely reputable companies however two stand out in Learning Curve that makes Thomas Wooden Railway and BRIO that have perfected the production of these trains over the decades they have been in business.

There are many options when purchasing BRIO wooden train sets trains like track pieces, track sets and whole bunch of trains and engines. Of these train sets, they vary from beginner sets to really advanced sets which can cost a few hundred dollars. Some the sophisticated layout are ideal for older kids who have taken to wood trains. The more advanced sets are ideal for older youngsters who have taken to wood trains and will have them interested for hours. Learning Curve and BRIO also sell a train table which has rugged play boards. If you need a place to put your track layout and store your trains then you should actually look at the BRIO train table. With younger kids, it is recommended you buy the suretrack clips to keep your track configuration in place. These clips lock the track pieces even for complex design so you do not have to worry about your configuration being taken apart.

There are many special train characters which youngsters can identify with. Young conductors can act out the escapades of Thomas the tank engine from the famous Children’s TV show.<br />Thomas and Friends has become a globally recognized entity for selling train toys and merchandise. Thomas the Tank Engine is the world’s most notable train. You can buy Thomas and Friends furniture, clothing, bedding accessories, and even bath toys for a variety of ages of children who enjoy the hit show. The Thomas train Bed is a very popular and best selling product.

Whatever train toys you select, buy premium brands like BRIO and Learning Curve that have a trusted reputation and have been making toys for decades.

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Do you want the best toys and games for your children?  Are you looking for toys that are safe, durable, and can provide countless hours of joy for your little kids?  For safety conscious parents who want to get the best value from toys, the Thomas train sets are the best options.  Thomas and Friends games and toys collections are very popular throughout the world.  The lovely Thomas engine and his gang of friendly trains are well loved by children and parents because they are the safest toys today.  Most important of all, these train sets are durable and can withstand the rough plays of very young toddlers.

One of the first factors that you need to consider when buying a toy is its durability.  Remember that the quality of the toy is an important aspect of safety.  A toy that can break easily could inflict serious harm to your child.  So you need to ensure that the toy sets for little children will not break easily.  Such quality assurance can be found in the branded models of Thomas train sets.  The makers of original Thomas and Friends games and toys follow the strict manufacturing standards of the toy industry.  The trains will not break or disintegrate easily even during extremely rough play time.  You child will be completely safe playing with the friendly Thomas trains all day.  So you will enjoy better peace of mind knowing that your little toddler will be safe from injuries and hazards.

Another factor to consider is the material used for designing the toy trains.  It is very common nowadays to hear massive recall of toy products due to the existence of hazardous lead.  It is important therefore to carefully choose the provider of the Thomas train sets.  Do not buy from unknown distributors, auctions, knock-off sites, and unreliable suppliers.  If you want your children to remain safe while playing, make sure to choose a reliable provider of original Thomas and Friends games and toys.  For this reason, you should check the Thomas train collections of Mega Bloks.  The mother company of Mega Bloks is working with the leading global safety testing institutes.  The products available on its site have exceeded the safety requirements for children’s toys.  Again, a Thomas train that is free from lead will keep your children safe and healthy.

Lastly, the exclusive Thomas train sets consist of large pieces of blocks that can not be easily swallowed by a child.  The Thomas and Friends games and toys are suitable for all toddlers because the parts are bigger and can not be detached accidentally.  In most cases, the train sets are recommended for children 3 years old and above.  The tracks, blocks, and accessories of these train sets are especially designed for safety.  So, if you are looking for the best toys with educational value and totally safe for little children, the train collections of Thomas and Friends should be on top of your wish list.   These train sets will surely fascinate your little child.

First, a midwife’s driving principle revolves around woman care. In other words most of the decisions for pregnancy and delivery will be with the woman in mind. Now that might sound as if the doctor doesn’t care about the woman but here are some differences.

First and foremost employing a midwife will mean that the delivery will be done naturally. As opposed to doctors, who treat delivery as a medical procedure. Due to that reason, there are a lot of medicines, drugs and other things utilized during the delivery. As opposed to a midwife who tries to have the baby naturally.

Another thing different is the fact is with a midwife it is designed to have a more personalized care. When you go to appointments you will notice the atmosphere is more warm and friendly. As opposed to with a doctor where it is more just like a medical appointment.

Another distinction in utilizing a midwife is that most of the time it means having the delivery at home. That is one of the things why many women choose to use a midwife. They want to not have it in a hospital but rather in their home. This will also allow the entire family to be more involved.

Now all these differences does not mean medical knowledge and equipment are not used. As a matter of fact, a lot of midwives have been trained medically. They know medical procedures that would need to be performed. So hiring a midwife is not equated to not utilizing the most current technology or information.

So as you can see there are many differences between a doctor and a midwife. The major factor is to know what you want exactly while you are pregnant. Knowing that will help you make an informed decision.

Get information about a water birth with our homebirth midwives San Diego service. Then you will know all your options concerning your homebirth San Diego.

The first on our list is Primrose School of Castle Hills. This is a very recommended choice. There are other Primrose schools around, but this is the one that laid the foundation for them. You should see all that they have to offer school wise. Then when school is over, they even have before and after school care until you get off of work. How is that for exciting?

The Kiddie Shack Daycare is another one of them that are great. Open from seven in the morning until six at night, this is the place to put your child. They often have a waiting list so you do need to be prepared for that. See what they can do with their great staff. You might just be impressed.

Yet, we have a third one to tell you about. This is the Rising Starz Child Care Center. They cater to the individual needs of children so that daycare is not so hard on them. We all might remember going to daycare ourselves. Do you remember how hard it was on you? It does not have to be that hard anymore with this day care center.

Another great one is the Parker Chase Development Center. For those kids ages six weeks all the way to twelve years of age, they offer a curriculum for the kids to follow until you come to pick them up. You will be amazed at all they learn and this is great to hear. Children need that nurturing environment.

Kids who have never been to day care might adapt really well here at Kids Play. That is right. They have been helping parents who have separation anxiety. They make the kids feel at ease. Then they give them things to do while the parents are at work to enrich their little minds and other areas of development.

So, see what you can do for yourself and check these out first. With warm staff and much promise they can be just what you needed. Do not be surprised if one of these is your first choice as they were ours. Good luck to you, but that should not be needed! Not with these at least.

Brilliance is one of the Premier Daycares In Carrollton or visit Brilliance Preschool & Academy @14450 Marsh Lane. Visit their Day cares In Carrollton page to get additional parent resources on preschool education.