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Purple Up: Celebrating military children

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Veronica Woodward
  • 633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

This week, local area schools join with military communities across the country to celebrate Purple Up day.


Students and their families are encouraged to wear purple, which shows support and signifies the unique sacrifices military children make alongside their families, both home and abroad.

“For 75 years DoDEA [Department of Defense Education Activity] has celebrated military-connected students,” said Tom Brady, DoDEA director. “We pause to recognize this extraordinary group during the Month of the Military Child.”

The official DoDEA Worldwide Purple Up Day for 2022 is April 19th but local schools have chosen to hold a spirit week, with events and activities all week long.

“It is such an honor to service our military children and their families,” said Elizabeth Galbreath, General Stanford Elementary School principal. “We know that military children will move, on average, six to nine times during a school career. Although it’s not easy, they are able to adapt to change. They have a level of kindness and compassion that shines through whenever they are in a room.”

Activities at schools across the country range from show-and-tell and creating displays about what honor means, to parades with military parents walking the school halls with their students. Other schools plan to hold an assembly or military appreciation night.

No matter the means of celebration, the intent remains the same.

“Purple Up day is an opportunity for our schools to visibly show our support and thank our military children for their strength and sacrifice,” Galbreath said. “It’s a great way to show a sense of community.”

For more military family resources, please visit the DoDEA’s Month of the Military Child site.