The Red Cross will don purple on April 13, to show their support for the thousands of youth whose lives are affected by a family member’s sacrifice and service to the country through the U.S. armed forces.
April marks the nation’s Month of the Military Child, a time to honor youth impacted by deployment. The Red Cross is one of many participants encouraging the public to wear purple on April 13 as part of the inaugural “Purple Up! For Military Kids” celebration, sponsored by Colorado Operation: Military Kids (OMK), part of the 4-H Youth Development program of CSU Extension.
An estimated 35,000 school-age kids are in military families in Colorado. OMK is encouraging everyone across the state of Colorado to wear purple on Friday, April 13, as a visible way to show support and thank military children for their strength and sacrifices. Purple is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red and Navy blue. OMK hopes everyone will take this opportunity to appreciate and celebrate these young heroes.
Businesses, churches, clubs, and other groups are encouraged to take part in this statewide recognition.
As part of the Month of the Military Child, the Red Cross is also co-sponsoring an essay contest in partnership with the Colorado National Guard Youth Program. The contest is open to kindergarten through 12th grade children of Colorado Army and National Guard members. The Red Cross is providing $25 gift card prizes to first- and second-place winners in seven grade categories.