Ninth season kicks off for Military ProCamps for military families

Bill Moore, Defense Commissary Agency director and CEO, speaks to listeners during the ProCamps virtual kick-off event. (DeCA photo: Rick Brink)

Bill Moore, Defense Commissary Agency director and CEO, speaks to listeners during the ProCamps virtual kick-off event. (DeCA photo: Rick Brink)

Meeting the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic head-on, organizers of the Procter & Gamble Military ProCamps held a virtual kick-off event Feb. 16 to launch the program that hosts football camps for military family youngsters worldwide.

The kickoff for the program’s ninth season signaled it’s time for commissary and exchange patrons to make the camps happen in their locations by shopping. Installations qualify for a camp based on sales of designated P&G products at their local commissaries and exchanges from mid-March to mid-April.

Customers will see mass product displays in participating stores. Patrons can also help their installation win by texting their installation name to 833-998-1228 anytime between Feb. 26 and April 11.

The camps are scheduled to be conducted in June and July, either in-person or virtually, depending on the status of public health precautions in effect then because of the pandemic. Last year, for the first time, they were virtual because of COVID. Either way, youth in grades 1-8 enjoy activities led by NFL athletes. So far more than 90 camps have been held for military youth on installations worldwide.

Defense Commissary Agency Director and CEO Bill Moore got the kickoff started with opening remarks delivered from a DeCA Headquarters conference room. Representatives of the other military resale entities also participated during the event attended virtually by fans who registered in advance and were eligible for prizes.

“ProCamps’ payback to the military is part of the benefits our commissary and exchange customers receive from our partnership with industry suppliers and manufacturers,” Moore told the audience. “Our industry partners provide millions of dollars annually in giveaways and promotional events that greatly enhance military quality of life.”

P&G is partnering with DeCA, the Army and Air Force Exchange, the Navy Exchange Service Command, the Marine Corps Exchange and the Coast Guard Exchange to provide the camps. In the camps NFL players interact with participants, and that also happened in the kickoff. Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones and Washington Football Team defensive tackle Jonathan Allen spoke and answered questions from the registered attendees.

Both players talked about their experiences as “Military Brats.” Allen’s father is a retired Army sergeant first class and his brother serves as an Army staff sergeant. Jones’ parents are both military retirees – his father served as a command sergeant major and his mother as a sergeant major.

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