Palatine honors couple behind Yellow Ribbon Support Group

The Palatine police and fire departments came out in force this week to join the village council in honoring Pat and Mac McCoy and their Yellow Ribbon Support Group.

The couple decided this year to shut down Yellow Ribbon after a decade in which they sent more than 28,000 care packages U.S. troops serving overseas.

The McCoys launched the effort in April 2003 by sending snacks and toiletries to their son's Army Special Forces unit in Iraq. Their work received such a strong positive response — both from the troops and the community — that they just kept going.

The McCoys and other volunteers collected the items and packed them, then took the packages to local festivals and church events, where others could get involved by taking them to the post office and paying for the shipping.

Palatine Police Chief John Koziol found the McCoys three rooms in the old village police department to run the operation.

“You were in the rooms that housed the Brown's Chicken (murders) task force,” Koziol told the McCoys Monday night, “and your great work removed the stain from them.”

When the couple announced the end of the mission this fall, Pat McCoy said donations had dropped off, probably because of the economy and the draw down of American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. The McCoys are in their 70s and “tired,” she added. And they did not know where they would work when village hall is gutted for a planned renovation.

The council chambers Monday was packed with supporters, as well as police officers and firefighters in uniform, when Mayor Jim Schwantz, Fire Chief Scott Andersen and Koziol praised the Yellow Ribbon Support Group.

The McCoys returned the thanks and gave the city a large photograph of their “troops” at work.

“One of the greatest things for me and my wife was when people would ask where we were from we'd say Palatine, Illinois,” said Mac McCoy. “We had such great support of the police and fire departments.”