WHEREAS, April is the national Month of the Military Child, a month dedicated to celebrating our Nation’s 1.6 million military and Veteran children; and

WHEREAS, military and Veteran children face many challenges and unique experiences as a result of their parents’ service; and

WHEREAS, only 30% of military family respondents to the 2021 Military Family Lifestyle Survey reported that they feel a sense of belonging to their local civilian community; and

WHEREAS, a sense of belonging is important to the overall health and well-being of our military and Veteran children and to the readiness of our active-duty military families; and

WHEREAS, Salt Lake City is committed to supporting Utah’s military and Veteran children and ensuring that all military and Veteran families feel a strong sense of belonging to their local civilian communities; and

WHEREAS, to celebrate our military kids, both past and present, and to help honor these resilient children, create community, and foster belonging, Blue Star Families’ Utah Chapter will be hosting its Dandelion Fest at the Gateway on April 29 and we are honored to host this event in our capital city.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Erin Mendenhall, Mayor of Salt Lake City, proclaim April 29, 2023, as:

Military Kids Day in Salt Lake City

To view the electronically signed copy of the proclamation, click here.