Susan Norman and Heather Harsh are on a mission.

"We want to make sure the soldiers (in Iraq) know we are supporting them," Harsh said. She and her mother, Norman, set out to do this by creating Operation Yellow Ribbon, an organization based out of Wisconsin, Harsh's home state. Operation Yellow Ribbon is a strictly volunteer effort by the two to donate plastic, hand-tied yellow ribbons to towns across the country. "We want to give a voice to quiet America," Norman said. They began with donated materials in Harsh's hometown of Colfax. Gradually, demand grew and they filled orders in Ohio, Florida, Texas, California, Washington, Illinois, New York and Tennessee. "Everyone we've talked to is very positive," Harsh said. The two are currently on a cross-country trip from Michigan to Texas and back, stopping in towns along the way to distribute ribbons. They were contacted by Fawn Kinnamon of Malcolm who learned of their project after finding contact information on the back of a ribbon purchased at Menard's in Lincoln.

Kinnamon's son, Keye, has served in Iraq and is preparing to return. After getting in touch with Norman and Harsh, Kinnamon found that they would be coming through Lincoln on their cross-country trip. Through Kinnamon, Norman and Harsh made plans to stop in Malcolm and Seward. They arrived in Malcolm Aug. 18 and left a bundle of ribbons that the Malcolm High School cheerleaders plan to distribute and display around town.

"It's nice to see someone follow through and not just be empty words," Kinnamon said. In addition to donating ribbons, Norman and Harsh sell them in businesses and use the money earned from sales to purchase more material and defray the cost of creating the ribbons.
They stopped at Sun-Mart in Seward and spoke to acting manager Dusty Prapher who is waiting for the go-ahead from the corporate office before beginning to sell the ribbons. "I'd like to do it," he said. "It sounds like a good cause." Further information on Operation Yellow Ribbon can be found on the group's website, www.operationyellowribbon.net.