ProCamps® SEASON BEGINS: Commissaries, exchanges, Procter & Gamble collaborate for free youth football events

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FORT LEE, Va. - Military commissaries and exchanges are blowing the whistle to start the next season of free NFL ProCamps® for military children at select installations.

For the 14th straight season, Procter & Gamble (P&G) is joining the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and the military exchanges to offer these camps hosted by NFL athletes such as Byron Young, Devin Lloyd, Austin Corbett, Morgan Fox and many others.

The instructional camps are for children, ages 6-14, of active duty, reserve, retired and Department of War civilians. Individual camp capacity is up to 150 children.

During the two consecutive sales promotional periods that started March 9 and end April 5, customer purchases of designated P&G products at participating stateside commissaries and exchanges will determine which installations win. The winning installations will be announced a few weeks after the sales event has concluded.

"Can you imagine the look on a child's face when they see an actual NFL player teaching them football in their community? You cannot put a price on the positive impact that gives our children," said Navy Command Master Chief Mario Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director and CEO.

"Our military children face so many twists and turns in adapting to such a unique lifestyle," he added. "For a couple days, these camps provide them a sense of normalcy and fun while they learn some aspects of teamwork and physical fitness."

The ProCamps® merchandising event highlights P&G's support of the military community as well as the strong savings on P&G brands, said Dena Hawkins, sales director, P&G Military Team (DeCA Pillar Leader).

"This program continues the long tradition of P&G and military resale bringing NFL camps to military communities - with over 20,000 children attending camps since the program started," Hawkins said. "We appreciate the sacrifice the military community makes for our country, and this is one small way we can show our appreciation to military families."

An NFL player will coach the participants as they rotate through various stations to learn basic football skills and later participate in games and competitions. Any winning military community that does not have enough children to conduct a camp could win a seven-on-seven flag football camp for that installation. Campers will be provided with a t-shirt, picture and lunch.

Two overseas events have already occurred. The first camp was Feb. 21-22 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, with linebacker Byron Young from the Los Angeles Rams. Autograph signings were held at the Ramstein Commissary and exchange.

Ramstein Air Base High School hosted the second event March 7-8 with Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd. Autograph signings were done at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center and the Ramstein Air Base Commissary.

"We are honored that we can be a part of supporting military families and single soldiers by bringing ProCamps® events to installations around the world," said Molly Fanning, executive vice president of Partnership Marketing.

"The camp itself allows youth to interact with an NFL Pro, but they learn much more than that," Fanning said. "They learn about hard work, setting goals and dreaming big. Hopefully, they also make a new friend or many along the way."

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, disabled veterans and other authorized patrons 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 supports the costs of building, modernizing and sustaining commissary facilities. A core military family support element and valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military services and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.