MONTE VISTA — Military Parents with a Purpose (MPwaP) will be hosting its first military sendoff ceremony March 6 at the Faith Hinkley Memorial and Veterans park at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be to send off 20-year-old Amanda Avila who will be leaving to serve in the National Guard. Avila is a 2019 Monte Vista High School graduate.
When asked why she wanted to serve in the National Guard Avila answered saying, “I wanted to join the National Guard to get help with college tuition and to help find a lifelong career path.”
Avila shared that she has wanted to join the National Guard since she was a junior in high school.
When asked what she hopes to accomplish as a member of the National Guard Avila said, “I hope to gain experience as a combat medic as well as become a leader to future soldiers. I hope to become a great asset to the civilian world with my medic background.”
Avila has a history of military service in her family.
“I have great grandparents, uncles and cousins who have served, and my brother Ty is currently serving in the Army. Shoutout to Big Bro T,” said Avila.
The Military Parents with a Purpose group started in September of 2019, as a group of parents from Monte Vista who have children that are active military members. The group raises funds and collects donations to send Christmas care packages to their local military members who are currently serving. They sent out 40 care packages to local military members from Monte Vista and to surrounding military members from other communities, with the support of donations from the community and businesses.
“This past Christmas we decided not to ask for donations due to COVID-19. But we were able to send Christmas cards to the Monte Vista military members. We will be doing the care packages this coming Christmas and hope to be able to provide for care packages for our local and surrounding military members. With the help and support of our community we are able to continue sending these care packages,” said Amanda’s mother, Kelly Avila, who is also the president of MPwaP.
For their first-ever military sendoff ceremony they are inviting the community to come and show their appreciation for Amanda Avila and her family’s sacrifice. Masks will be required, and there will be no seating available.
“We are wanting to get the community involved in showing support to the shipper and wanting the shipper to know that their community is behind them. There will be different community members that will speak and there will be support from our local first responders,” Kelly Avila told Valley Publishing.