Rick's Place has planned an afternoon away for the families dealing with the stress of last-minute deployments, a way to connect with other military families and to take a break.

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 offer children a place to have fun and a place to support military families, so they know they aren't alone.

This weekend they are supporting families by hosting a Meet Us at the Park event specifically for families dealing with the rapid deployments occurring over the past three weeks.

"We wanted to do something extra," Vicky Jimenez, director of programs at RHF, said. "We wanted to do an event that would be dedicated for those families who have been impacted by the recent deployment."

From 2 to 5 p.m., there will be activities, inflatables, games for kids and local organizations offering resources to families. In addition, the food truck, Hot Dog Central, will be at the event feeding families in attendance.

Jimenez told Up & Coming Weekly that while families are at Rick's Place, they can set aside the stressors that deployment may have placed on them, at least for a short time.

"The importance of having these events is to connect people to these other families that are going through the same challenges as them," Jimenez said.

The Meet Us at the Park event will be followed by the monthly scheduled event, Family Fun Day, which is open to any military family. This month, RHF will be hosting a drive-in movie screening.

"This will be our first drive-in movie. So we wanted to try and give it a chance and give families different activities here at Rick's Place," Jimenez said.

The 2000s family classic, "The Chronicle of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," will be playing on the big screen. Families can enjoy the movie from the comfort of their warm vehicles or pull up a chair with blankets to watch it outside. RHF will give out free popcorn and hot cocoa to families. The movie starts around 5:30 p.m.

The two events take place on Saturday, Feb. 26. Registration to both events is required. Jimenez said that she is expecting 100 to 150 people to be at the two events, but they know there are countless more families who are impacted.

If families find out about the events after registration is closed, they can contact RHF by calling 910-444-1743 to see if space is available.

To pre-register for the event, visit rhfnow.org/event/meet-us-at-the-park-rapid-deployment-impacted-families-event/. To register for the movie night, visit rhfnow.org/event/february-family-fun-day-evening-drive-in-movie/.

The next Family Fun Day is scheduled for March 26 and is planned to be a Physical Fitness Family Challenge.

Families will have a change to compete against each other in several activities and lunch will be provided at no cost. Registration for that event is open.

Rick's Place is located at 5572 Shenandoah Drive.

For more information, visit rhfnow.org/events or call the Rick's Place team at 910-444-1743.