Tributes for Troops: Q & A

Who can record a Tributes for Troops message?
Anyone can record a message at RFB&D's Austin, Texas, Phoenix, Arizona or Sun Cities studio. To register, visit www.rfbd.org/tributesfortroops.

Austin Studio
1314 West 45th Street
Austin, TX 78756
512-323-9390

Phoenix Studio
3627 E. Indian School Road, Suite 108
Phoenix, AZ 85018
602-468-9144

Sun Cities
9449 North 99th Avenue
Peoria, AZ 85345
623-977-6020

When may I come in to record my tribute?
To make an appointment to record a message at the Austin Studio, call Toni Ericson at 512-323-9390 or e-mail tericson@rfbd.org. To make an appointment to record a message at the Phoenix Studio, call Pam Bork at 602-468-9144 or e-mail pbork@rfbd.org. To make an appointment to record a message at the Sun Cities Studio, call Michael Kaminer at 623-977-6020 or e-mail mkaminer@rfbd.org. Appointment time lengths will be 20 or 30 minutes.

Do I have a choice in what I say in my tribute?
Yes. You can record a general message that would provide support and boost morale for any serviceman or woman serving our country and/or, if you want to record something personal for a specific service member, you can record a personal message to take with you and deliver on your own. We do provide a few guidelines and ideas, but any positive message will be accepted. Visit www.rfbd.org/tributesfortroops/registrationform and fill out our message form to bring with you the day of the recording appointment.

How long can my message be?
The recommended maximum length for a message is three minutes. General messages will be no longer than three minutes. If you want to record something personal, the message can be no longer than 10 minutes, however, if you have different family members all contributing to a CD the combined message can be longer.

Do I have to bring anything with me to the studio?
Yes. After you register by calling in to make an appointment, visit www.rfbd.org/tributesfortroops and download our form at www.rfbd.org/tributesfortroops/registrationform to print, fill out and bring with you to your appointment. This will be general information about you (the one recording the message) and ideas on what you might say in your message.

Can I have a copy of my CD with my tribute on it?
If you are recording your message for a friend or family member, and you would like to take it with you so you can deliver it on your own, we will give you the CD after your appointment. If you are interested in recording a general message to be distributed to members of our nation's Armed Forces, the CD will be mailed through RFB&D to the appropriate APO boxes the military Family Support Centers provide to us.

If I take my tribute with me, will the CD be in a format that I can add more information to?
No, your CD will be given to you in a completed format, and you will not be able to copy any additional information on it through your computer or other resource. However, once you take a personal message home with you, you could copy the message from the CD to your home computer and burn your own Data CD with photos and other materials.

Is there an age restriction for who can record messages?
If you are under the age of 16, an adult must accompany you.

What should I say in my recording?
If you are creating a personal message to deliver on your own, feel free to speak openly. If you are recording a general message, you might want to say who you are and why you support our troops. Tell them that you believe in them and are thankful for what they do for our country. More information about this will be on the form you will bring with you to the studio.

Will any other information be on my CD besides my recording?
Yes. A message from RFB&D about our history and services, our Tributes for Troops project, and our services for veterans will be included as a track on our CD as a way to introduce our organization, why we are doing this Tributes for Troops project and help others find out about and support our valuable services.

What if a family wanted to come in to record a message for an individual together?
Depending on the size of the family, we may be able to allow the family to fit inside a recording booth. Possibly, around 5 people could record a speaker phone type recording where they could all speak out into the microphone at different times and together.

What if a family or group of friends wants to record a CD for an individual but can't all come in at the same time?
We can create one CD with several different tracks which would have a message from each individual on it.

How long does it take for the general CDs to get to the military?
Once we have mailed our final, professionally produced Tributes for Troops CD, it should be received by the military within two weeks.

How can I support RFB&D and/or thank the organization for making Tributes for Troops possible?
RFB&D is a 501(c)(3) organization and relies on the financial contributions of others to further its mission to create opportunities for individual success by providing, and promoting the effective use of, accessible educational materials. To make a donation, visit http://www.rfbd.org/support_2.asp or contact Linda Nichols, Regional Development Director at 512-351-4842 to discuss making a contribution that will benefit students in your area. You can also leave your donation with a staff member in one of our studios.

Volunteers are also needed in each of our studios. To volunteer in Austin, call 512-323-9390. In Phoenix, call 602-468-9144. At Sun Cities in AZ, call 623-977-6020. For other volunteer opportunities around the region, call toll free 877-246-7321. Volunteers are needed nationwide. To contact the location nearest you, visit our Nationwide Locations page.

Why is Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic involved in Tributes for Troops?
RFB&D was founded to provide accessible educational materials in the form of audio textbooks for soldiers returning from WWII with visual impairments in 1948. In honor of our 60th Anniversary, we began an initiative to reach out to veterans again to continue that support to our military. Since we officially began our 60th Anniversary Veterans Outreach initiative, the number of RFB&D members identified as veterans has more than tripled. Exciting relationships continue to form with veterans' hospitals and organizations that we hope will lead to increased public awareness and to more veterans with visual and print disabilities receiving the tools they need to achieve educational and professional success.

Thanks to a generous donation, Tributes for Troops allows members of our local communities to express their support of our troops and to help us promote how RFB&D's services can benefit not only veterans, but any student or professional with a print disability. To learn more about these efforts, visit www.rfbd.org/vet or www.rfbd.org/tributesfortroops.

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