Borough of Avalon Celebrates Memorial Day

AVALON – The Borough of Avalon paid tribute to the men and women who gave their lives for our country during a special Memorial Day parade and ceremony on Monday morning, May 30th.
Many Avalon organizations participated in a parade on Dune Drive that ended at the Avalon Veterans Plaza at 21st Street and Dune Drive. Mayor Martin Pagliughi presided over the ceremony and welcomed guest speaker Mary Conboy from Pennsylvania. Mary is the founder of “Operation Bedding” which provides the comforts of home to soldiers who serve our country.
On a Sunday morning in 2006, Mary Conboy received a telephone call from her son, Adam Conboy who served in the United States Marines in Iraq. Adam requested some basic supplies from home, including pillows and other items. Adam was quick to point out to his mother that whatever she sent had to be in multiples of 40 since there were 40 soldiers in his platoon. Adam joked with his mother to “get Operation Bedding going” for the men and women who were serving overseas. Five days later, Adam Conboy was killed in Iraq on May 12th, 2006.
Mary Conboy started the Adam C. Conboy Memorial Fund which initiated “Operation Bedding”. The mission statement of the fund is to enhance the quality of life of all military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan by sending comforts of home to their remote locations. To date, “Operation Bedding” has sent nearly 10,000 boxes of these comfort items to our troops. Mary Conboy’s efforts have received coverage from “People” magazine, the “Dr. Phil” television program, and many media outlets in the Delaware Valley region.
Some of the typical supplies that are included in boxes sent overseas from “Operation Bedding” include eye drops, pillows, bug spray, wash cloths, baby wipes, razors, tooth brushes, tooth paste, power bars, hard candy, gum, and moisture lotion. To learn more on how you can support “Operation Bedding” please visit www.adamconboymemorialfund.org.