Indian River salutes military children with Purple Up Day

TOWN OF PHILADELPHIA, New York (WWNY) - It was Purple Up Day at Indian River Middle School on Thursday.

April is the Month of the Military Child so the school partnered with Army youth programs and made students and staff purple T-shirts to wear and show support for children whose parents are in the military.

It’s a way to recognize the sacrifices families of soldiers have to make.

Theodore Ringette, a 7th grader and military child, says she’s been here for a year with her family and designed the T-shirt.

“Honestly, I just got so excited when I saw a bunch of people. I was walking to school and saw a bunch of people wearing the design. I got so excited. I was like why not just include all of them, all six branches? You got the Coast Guard, the Marines, the Navy, the Air Force, the Space Force and the Army,” she said.

In the elementary schools in the district, teachers are reading books to children that focus on military homecomings and how parents can still love their children when they are half a world away.

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