While we enjoy beautiful weather year-round in Monterey, there’s something special about the start of Spring. Maybe it’s the idea of fresh beginnings, but I always find myself walking with a new pep in my step. There are a lot of opportunities for military families to be excited about in the Monterey area this Spring.
Camp Corral provides the opportunity for the children of military members to attend camp for free at one of many host camps around the country. Partner camp YMCA Camp Loma Mar is in the redwood forests of Loma Mar, California from August 5 -11. Applications are currently open and will be available until one month before camp or until all the spots have been filled.
If you mix Army green, Marine Corps red, and blue from the Coast Guard, Air Force, and Navy, you get the perfect shade of purple. The National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple Camp believes that bringing these kids together for summer camp creates a truly magical experience.
Operation Purple Camps are provided free of charge in partnership with participating camps around the United States. Special consideration is given to those kids who have a parent who was wounded, ill, or injured during their service or will be deployed before, during, or shortly after the camp season. Registration for the summer 2018 camps opens on March 5th. It’s an opportunity to send your military kid for a camp experience they will never forget.
For our older kids, the start of Spring means getting prepared for college, including scholarship deadlines. The Monterey Bay Officer Spouse’s Club awards numerous scholarships each year to area students. Eligible applicants include members of MBOSC, their families, and family members of Active Duty, retired, or deceased military members in the Monterey Bay area, as well as families of all Naval Postgraduate School students and alumni.
Camp Corral information can be found at www.campcorral.org. For more information on the Operation Purple camp and to see where your kids can connect with other military kids, visit www.militaryfamily.org. To apply for the MBOSC scholarship or buy tickets to the Sip the Peninsula fundraiser, visit wwww.mbosc.net.
Katie Begley is a Navy veteran and military spouse.