“Our nation’s military members and their families exemplify tremendous teamwork, service and resiliency – qualities that strengthen the communities they work so hard to protect,” said retired Brig. Gen. John I Pray Jr., President and CEO of Operation Homefront. “It is an honor to recognize and showcase the remarkable accomplishments of military children, who contribute significantly on their own while facing the unique challenges inherent in military life, through our highly regarded Military Child of the Year program.”
All seven Military Child of the Year® Award recipients will be invited to attend Operation Homefront’s Military Child of the Year® Awards Gala on Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Arlington, VA, where they will each receive $10,000, a laptop, and donated surprises from Operation Homefront’s generous partners. Operation Homefront will provide airfare and lodging for each award recipient and two family members to attend the gala and spend a few days in the Washington, D.C. area.
Previous recipients have had the honor of meeting several Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and their spouses, First Lady Michelle Obama, Paralympian/veteran Melissa Stockwell, entertainers Runaway June and King Calaway, former NFL star and philanthropist Jason Brown, and singer/songwriter/philanthropist Bret Michaels, who have served as guest speakers and entertainers. Actor and writer David Hoffman, who spent his childhood as an Army dependent, has also supported the Military Child of the Year® Awards in recent years, emceeing the awards gala in 2022 and 2023.
“Being selected as Operation Homefront’s 2023 Military Child of the Year for the National Guard will no doubt be one of the greatest privileges in my life,” said Jackson Griggs. “As a military child, I have always been so proud of my parent’s service and so aware of the amazing community of military families that are all over the world. However, even greater than the generous money that this award provides me toward my college education is the time with other military children from other branches who have experienced similar life events as myself. We formed an instant friendship, and our time together touring Washington D.C. and hanging out with one another is a memory that I won’t soon forget.”
Visit operationhomefront.org/military-child-of-the-year to learn more and nominate a child for their respective branch award. Anyone can nominate a military child—from family members and friends, to teachers, coaches, counselors, and clergy. Everyone is encouraged to recognize the outstanding military children in their lives.
About Operation Homefront:
Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 85 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing, and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.
Media Contact
Erin Burgy, Operation Homefront, (469) 934-7131, [email protected], www.operationhomefront.org
SOURCE Operation Homefront
