San Diego Military Families to Celebrate Christmas in June

The 9th annual "Christmas You Missed" event is hosted by the San Diego Armed Services YMCA

San Diego military families will celebrate Christmas in June on Saturday at a special event for those who were separated by deployment over the holiday season last year.

The 9th annual โ€œChristmas You Missedโ€ will take place from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Murphy Canyon Youth Center on Santo Road. The event, hosted by the San Diego Armed Services YMCA, recreates Christmas for military families who were unable to be together back in December. This includes family members of those deployed on USS Carl Vinson.

Organizers say the youth center will transform into a winter wonderland with all the bells and whistles of the holiday season, including snow, Christmas carolers, cookie decorating and a visit from Santa Claus.

Fun, family-friendly activities will include face painting, raffles, bowling, bounce houses and a photo booth so families can take home a picture of their special holiday. There will also be live music.

To fully recreate the feeling of Christmas morning, many families will attend in their pajamas or favorite holiday outfits. Military families will also be treated to a free Christmas morning breakfast from Hometown Buffet.

Organizers hope this celebration gives San Diego military families a chance to make memories they may have missed out on.

โ€œOur military families sacrifice so much,โ€ said Tim Ney, Executive Director of the San Diego Armed Services YMCA. โ€œAt San Diego ASY, we know that being separated is a painful reality of military life, which is often made even more difficult by spending special holidays apart. Many families, for example, spend Christmas half a world apart.โ€

Organizers say the event is also a heartfelt way to say thank you to our U.S. military service members.

The San Diego Armed Services YMCA (San Diego ASY) was founded in 1920 as a national affiliate of the YMCA. Its mission is to support military families and enhance their lives with services and programs relevant to the unique challenges of military life.
 

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