November is Military Appreciation Month, and Harley-Davidson Motor Co. has partnered with the USO to show its support and gratitude for the men and women in the military. The company will welcome donations at its nearly 650 dealerships throughout the country on behalf of the USO Nov. 1 through Dec. 31.

The money will be used to assemble care packages for troops overseas. It also is challenging its U.S. Harley Owners Group chapters to raise $500 each for the Operation USO Care Package program. 

Harley-Davidson’s support of the USO will extend through the end of next year. Every care package distributed by the USO in 2012 will include a pair of tickets to the Harley-Davidson Museum - approximately 250,000 tickets in total.

In addition, the company is hosting a military-only concert by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in San Diego on Dec. 1, where nearly all of the tickets will be given to select soldiers at nearby bases. For one lucky military winner and a guest, Harley-Davidson will provide a full VIP experience for the concert, including travel to San Diego, dinner and a motorcycle ride from Los Angeles to San Diego with the band. Entries for the contest will be accepted online through Nov. 15. 

Harley-Davidson’s history with the U.S. military dates to World War I and World War II. 

Today, Harley-Davidson supports U.S. military personnel through programs such as Harley’s Heroes. In 2007, The Harley-Davidson Foundation made its first $1 million grant to Disabled American Veterans to support its Mobile Service Offices that travel throughout the country to provide counseling and assistance to help veterans and their families secure the benefits they earned through their service. The program has become known as Harley’s Heroes. Last year, the foundation made a second $1 million grant to continue its support of the program.

Harley-Davidson also recently sponsored three tours of Bikes Over Baghdad, which brought a team of the biggest names in action sports to bases in Iraq, Kuwait and other parts of the Middle East to perform BMX shows for thousands of troops. For two of the three tours, Harley-Davidson sent one of its own employees along to show the company’s personal gratitude.

For more about Harley-Davidson’s Military Appreciation Month activities, visitwww.harley-davidson.com/military.