I'm pleased to announce that four major industry members have each responded to a call for support for IPMS/USA's modeling programs.

IPMS/USA, the International Plastic Modelers' Society, a not-for-profit organization, offers three outreach programs designed to connect with people interested in the hobby of building scale models. In summary, these are:

• Make and Take (MnT), a process that allows young, would be modelers to build what may very well be their first model kit in a structured environment. Typically held at IPMS/USA local, regional and national contests, and run under the supervision of volunteer IPMS mentors, MnT events have exposed over 6,000 kids to the hobby, creating future modelers and members.
  
  
• Adult Building Course (ABC) is a structured, multi-week class wherein new or returning adult modelers build and finish an intermediate level kit over multiple evenings. These courses are led by experienced instructors and include the model kit, supplies, documentation, and a one-year IPMS/USA membership as part of a very low program fee.
  
  
• Supporting the Troops allows US Armed Forces members who are deployed to remote combat locations to recreate a little bit of home by participating in model building activities in a group setting. To date, IPMS has sponsored in-theatre hobby groups in Iraq, Afghanistan, and on Diego Garcia by sending kits, supplies, tools and reference materials to our young service members abroad.

Photos and updates on these initiatives are regularly posted to our website (www.ipmsusa.org) and in the pages of the IPMS/USA Modelers' Journal.

With that as background, we would like to take the opportunity to thank the following hobby industry supporters:

Stevens International and Trumpeter have donated several hundred kits in various scales and genres to IPMS/USA. Mike Bass, President of Stevens International, was instrumental in coordinating this effort, resulting in over $20,000 worth of Trumpeter kits coming to IPMS for shipping costs only.

Testors Corporation, upon being contacted for support, donated over 200 sets of military and gloss paint sets along with brushes and adhesives. These will be used for MnT and STT programs. Says Tom Richardson of Testors:

"Hi John,
The thanks go to you and your members at the IPMS for taking on this merited endeavor. Anything we can do for those that lay their lives on the line in the cause of freedom deserve all the support we can muster. Thank you again for your leadership in this cause.
Respectfully yours,

Tom Richardson
The Testors Corporation"

Finally, thanks go to Joyce Collier at Revell Incorporated. When contacted by IPMS, Joyce put together a fantastic package of Snaptite and other basic kits at greatly reduced prices and arranged their shipment to our Junior Activities Coordinator. On top of that, she arranged to donate some surplus items to us as well.

I can't say enough about the support that these four companies have provided to IPMS/USA. We're now fully prepared to serve the needs of our armed forces members in harms' way with morale builders, to engage young hands and minds as well as new or returning adults to the wonderful hobby of scale modeling. Thank you Stevens, Trumpeter, Testors and Revell.

John Noack
First Vice President, IPMS/USA
jnoack@impsusa.org
330-289-1937