‘Purple Up! Day’ honors Colorado military students and their families

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- Monday, April 15, is 'Purple Up! Day', a day when the community comes together to celebrate the unique sacrifices military students and their families make. In Colorado, April is also the 'Month of the Military Child,' so on Monday, first responders, educators, and parents celebrated military students all across southern Colorado.

"We feel respected, we just feel so happy that like people really do care about military children going through hard times really," said Miguel Andrade, whose parents are in the military.

"So one of the hard times I have gone through is actually just recently, um, my dad, he was deployed for, I think nine months. So he just recently came back and, um, it's been a real struggle…but he's good," said Evelyn Byrnes, whose dad is in the military.

During Purple Up! Day, seven students from Mesa Elementary School in Fountain felt the extra love, and others in Peyton and Colorado Springs were also surprised with a visit from Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera 

"I think I would like to say how proud I am of their resilience and how proud I am of their sacrifices they make as well to make sure we have a strong military," said Primavera.

A big barrier military students often face is switching schools and having to make new friends. Brylee Adorador said whenever she sees a new military student enroll in their school, she tries to make them feel as comfortable as possible. 

"I'm like, I see what you are going through and if it's okay with you I can be your friend and like get you through it," added Adordor.

The reason people wear purple on Purple Up! Day is because it's a combination of all the military branch colors.