By Allison Singer, Time for Kids
Alaysia Thomas is 16. She went to sleepaway camp for the first time last summer. At camp, she rode horses. She also went canoeing. But her favorite thing was talking with other campers. “I made great friendships,” she told TIME for Kids.
The campers had something in common. They all have a parent in the military. Some, such as Alaysia and her younger sister, Alivia, have two.
The camp the girls went to is in Virginia. It’s one of several Operation Purple camps across the country run by the National Military Family Association (NMFA). These free, weeklong camps are for kids ages 7 to 17.
Going to an Operation Purple camp can be a military kid’s first time around other military kids. “It’s a chance for them to come together,” Hannah Pike says. She is an NMFA programs director.
Stephanie Thomas is grateful for Operation Purple. She is Alaysia and Alivia’s mother. She is also in the United States Army. “We sacrifice a lot for our country,” she says. “That little bit given back, to take care of our kids—it’s appreciated.”
At Your Service
More than 62,000 kids have gone to an Operation Purple camp since 2004. According to Pike, some sites get more than 500 applications for just 150 spots. Priority is given to kids with a parent who has recently been or will soon be deployed. Spots are also held for kids whose parents have been hurt.
Part of the program’s appeal is its price tag. “Military families often struggle with finances,” Amy Bushatz says. “It doesn’t hurt that the camp is free.” Her son, David, is 9. He went to camp in Alaska in 2017.
So who pays? “We have generous donors,” Pike says. One is the Wounded Warrior Project. It announced a $750,000 grant to Operation Purple last month.
Strength and Honor
Military children face unique challenges. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, families in the military might move every two to four years. That means kids can switch schools nine times by age 18.
At an Operation Purple camp, kids bond with new friends who are facing the same challenges. Also, Pike says each camp has two counselors trained to help military kids. They support campers in need.
On a military-themed day, campers make a Wall of Honor. Alaysia Thomas added a poster about her family to her camp’s display. Is she proud of her two military parents? “Very,” she says.
That’s where Buddy Camp comes in. This Operation Purple program is for military children who are not ready to go to sleepaway camp on their own. At a Buddy Camp, kids ages 5 to 8 bring along a “buddy.” This can be a parent, grandparent, or caretaker. Hannah Pike says that Buddy Camp is “a really special bonding experience.”
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