Afghanistan vet wins new Jeep Key to winning: Practice, practice, practice

WANTAGE — When Jeep held its 2009 Jeep Touchdown Toss competition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point this fall, Lt. Col. David Ell was one of the first people to sign up. Competitors who were selected had to throw as many regulation-sized footballs as they could within 30 seconds through the “headlight” opening of a cutout for a Jeep grille from seven yards away. Two competitors were selected for each Army football home game this season. After winning his first round on Oct. 23 during the Army-Rutgers game, Lt. Col. Ell made it to the finals, which were held at halftime during Army’s Nov. 14 game against Virginia Military Institute. Even though there was a steady drizzle and the footballs were slick and tough to grip that day, Ell managed to beat his opponent by one throw and win a 2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4X4, which he was presented with on Sat., Nov. 21 at Franklin-Sussex Auto Mall in Wantage Township. “I practiced A LOT for this,” said Ell, who brought his wife Wendy and three children with him to pick up the new Jeep at the dealership. While some of his fellow competitors at West Point made their own cutouts that were slightly narrower than the ones they were aiming at during the competition, Ell continued to use the official Jeep cutouts that were left near the field at Michie Stadium for contestants to practice with. Lt. Col. Ell’s visit to pick up his prize at Franklin-Sussex Auto Mall coincided with the dealership’s involvement with a program called Operation Gratitude, a Van Nuys, Calif.-based non-profit organization that sends individual care packages to members of the Armed Forces serving overseas. Franklin-Sussex Auto Mall has participated in the program for the past six years and has donated approximately $50,000 over that period through vehicle sales it has made during the month of November, said the dealership’s general manager Bill Snouffer. Money donated for this program is used to ship the care packages overseas, Snouffer explained. Through November, the dealership is also accepting donations for the care packages, including prepaid phone cards, disposable cameras, clothing articles and some packaged foods, said Kelly Little, customer care representative and event coordinator at Franklin-Sussex Auto Mall. After serving in Afghanistan for a year and returning to the U.S. in March, Lt. Col. Ell said he can relate to how the Operation Gratitude program helps to lift soldiers’ spirits while they’re away from home and their loved ones. “It’s absolutely fabulous,” said Ell of the program. “It shows the support of the people, which means a lot to us.” For the full list of items being accepted for care packages, visit www.opgratitude.com.