ProCamps: Select military bases get youth football events with NFL athletes thanks to commissary promotion

FORT LEE, Va. – This summer boys and girls in 11 military communities will be able to enjoy a football ProCamp event with a “Heroic, Resilient, Courageous” theme thanks to groceries sold in their commissaries.

The camps, which are led by NFL football players, are open to first through eighth grade youths of active duty military, reservists, retirees and DOD civilian employees. They are two-day events sponsored by Procter and Gamble in partnership with the Defense Commissary Agency.

The installations qualified for a camp based on purchases of P&G products in their local commissaries during March and April that included an active social media campaign which engaged patrons via texting and emailing features.

            Camp locations and dates are:

• Fort Jackson, South Carolina (June 18-19)

• Travis Air Force Base, California (June 18-19)

• Fort Bliss, Texas (June 21-22)

• Fort Hood, Texas (June 24-25)

• Naval Station Mayport, Florida (June 25-26)

• Randolph Air Force Base, Texas (July 1-2).

• Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia (July 11-12)

• Fort Bragg, North Carolina (July 11-12)

• Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia (July 13-14)

• Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona (July 13-14)

• Fort Benning, Georgia (July 18-19)

Those interested in the upcoming camps should visit the local commissary or contact the local youth sports office for details, including times the athletes will hold autograph sessions. A couple of the camps were already held earlier this year, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and at Naval Base Guam.

“Events such as ProCamps prove that commissaries are more than just a grocery store,” said Tracie Russ, DeCA’s director of sales. “This marks the seventh year this special P&G promotion with us has brought these camps to military installations. Campers not only get to meet NFL players, have fun and learn about football, but they also learn valuable life skills and teamwork.”

ProCamps operates sports camps around the world led by professional athletes. More than just exercises and drills, the athletes connect with participants, sharing ideas and concepts common to military children who face the challenges of parents deploying and making new friends as they move from installation to installation during the course of their parents’ military careers. This year’s theme of “Heroic, Resilient, Courageous” highlights the values the camps seek to instill.

Following are the athletes who will be at the camps: Andre Roberts, Fort Jackson; Marquise Goodwin, Travis Air Force Base; Will Hernandez, Fort Bliss; Jaylon Smith, Fort Hood; Latavius Murray, Naval Station Mayport; Trace McSorley, Marine Corps Base Quantico; Christian McCaffrey, Fort Bragg; LeGarrette Blount, Naval Base Norfolk; Christian Kirk, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base; Mohamed Sanu, Fort Benning; and Lamar Miller, Randolph Air Force Base.

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.