BEAUFORT, S.C. - Students of Laurel Bay schools and other public schools in Beaufort County outfitted themselves in purple shirts as part of the Operation Military Kids’ Purple UP! For Military Kids day, April 15.
Classrooms that are normally lined with red, white and blue polo shirts were substituted with purple shirts to show support to military children across the globe.
Operation Military Kids is an organization that aims to support children and youth impacted by deployment and connect military children with local resources in order to achieve a sense of community support and enhance their well-being.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, they encouraged everyone across the U.S. to wear purple on Monday, April 15th as a visible way to show support and thanks to 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.
The nationwide purple outfit day was part of a month long effort to recognize military children around the world. Laurel Bay schools and the community will hold various events to celebrate the military child such as picnics, dress-up days and other festivities.
In 1986 Caspar W. Weinberger, the secretary of defense, designated each April as The Month of the Military Child. The month recognized the contributions that military children make as their parent or parents serve.
For more information on The Month of the Military Child visit DODEA’s website at www.dodea.edu.