Purple Up! Day shows support for military youth
SALEM, Ore. - Purple Up! Day is a worldwide event in all communities and all military installations. Show your support for Military Youth (those that have a loved one serving in the Armed Forces) by wearing purple all day on Friday, April 17th.
"Many military youth are unnoticed and unrecognized for their incredible strength and resilience due to having a parent serving in the military,” said Hank Bauer, Lead Child and Youth Program Coordinator for the Oregon National Guard.
“They experience deployments of a loved one, extra stress in their household, and other challenges that go along with being part of a military family. They also are more mature than their peers due to increased responsibility in their household and they have a greater respect for service and sacrifice,” he said.”
Purple Up! for Military Youth is an annual campaign during April, to help celebrate the Month of the Military Child. Community members are encouraged to wear purple on April 17th as a visible way to show support and thank military children for their strength and sacrifices. Purple represents all branches of the military as it is a combination of colors with Army ‘green’, Marine ‘red’, and the Coast Guard, Air Force, and Navy ‘blue.’
This year marks the 34th year that April has been designated as the Month of the Military Child. Oregon alone has 10,000 military connected youth that has a loved one currently serving in a branch of the Armed Forces. Show your support for these youth and families!
"As a teenager who is dealing with a deployment of a parent right now, I know it is extremely hard for me and for my family,” said Lexi, an Oregon teenager from Hillsboro.
“Being a military teen means more responsibility especially when you have younger siblings since they don't understand that a parent might be leaving for a long period of time and for what reason. You have to be strong to support your younger siblings and the rest of the family," she said.
Take a picture of yourself or a group of friends, family, and co-workers and post it on your preferred social media page along with the hashtags: #MOMC, #PurpleUp, and an Oregon specific hashtag: #ORPurpleUp.
