ricks placeOnce a month, military families can take a break and enjoy a day to themselves at Rick’s Place. The Rick Herrema Foundation focuses on strengthening relationships and building community for military families through fun, quality activities. They host events and fun days at Rick’s Place, a 50-acre park, to not only offer kids a place to have fun but show military families to know they aren’t alone.

“Every month, we try to give back to families that give the most,” Vicky Jimenez, director of programs at RHF, said.

At this special holiday-themed event, not only will hayrides, inflatables and other fun activities be available, there will also be some special winter activities. There will be hot cocoa and cookies, for decorating, and Santa Claus will be posing for pictures.

Local food trucks are scheduled to be on-site and offer free lunches to everyone attending the event.

Jimenez told Up & Coming Weekly that, on average, 250 families come to their monthly Fun Day events.

However, last week she noticed that over 500 families have pre-registered.

Those numbers are great, especially since each family will also be helping an at-risk community while having fun, she said

“It’s the season of giving. We made it through another year with all of the ups and downs we’ve had,” Jimenez said. “We wanted to give back.”

The Rick Herrema Foundation is partnering with the Military Luggage Company and the Fayetteville Woodpeckers to help donate 187 backpacks to local at-risk and homeless veterans.

They are asking families attending the Holiday Family Fun Day to donate the following needed items to be put into the backpacks: new socks, toiletries, hygiene products, chapstick, warm blankets, winter coats, winter gloves, warm hats, new shoes, warm scarves, over-the-counter cold medicine and handheld first aid kits.

True Patriot Inc. Off-Road Outreach will give out the backpacks on Jan. 10 as part of the “Backpacks for Patriots” event at Operation Inasmuch.

This RHF event and others require volunteers. There are many volunteer opportunities, such as helping with significant events such as the Family Fun Day, but there are also hands-on opportunities like carpentry, working with horses and general labor.

To become a volunteer, contact the volunteer coordinator at volunteer@rhfnow.org.

The family fun day will take place on Dec. 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pre-registration is required to attend and is open only to military families.

To register, visit rhfnow.org/event/ricks-place-holiday-family-fun-day/.

The park is located at 5572 Shenandoah Drive. For more information, visit rhfnow.org/events or call the Rick’s Place team at 910-444-1743.

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