White House Petition - Support Our Troops

Most of my readers, fans and followers are active campers and RVers, folks that love the great outdoors and recognize its affect on our our well-being. Enter a non-profit group called Tents for Troops with this mission:

Tents for Troops, Creating a Place to Enjoy Life Away From the Field, endeavors to ensure that all active members of the military and their families have access to the great outdoors and the joys that only a camping/RV vacation can provide. T4T achieves this by facilitating complimentary camping/RVing experiences, two nights-two sites, through private and public entities that build lasting memories and grow the outdoor industry.

Last week Tents for Troops launched a White House petition at the 'We the People' website asking President Obama to issue an executive order compelling parks/recreation areas on all federal lands to allow free camping for active military and active reserves. They need 25,000 signatures by May 1, 2012 to elevate this request to the administration and need your help. 

This program would make a huge difference to active members of the military and their families with very little or no cost to the government. Watch this short video about the petition:



Here's how the petition reads: 

'We believe the Obama Administration should…'
 
Issue an exec order compelling parks/rec areas on all federal lands to allow free camping for active military, reserves.
 
Our troops – active members of the military and active reserves – should not have to pay in order to enjoy the federal lands they are fighting to protect.
 
President Obama, please issue an executive order compelling parks and recreation areas on all federal lands to allow a minimum of two nights of free camping for active military, reserves and their immediate families, providing space is available.
 
Reservations would be required at all parks. This includes Nat’l and US Forest Svc Parks, BLM lands, RV parks/campgrounds owned by the military, and more.
 
Complimentary access to our national lands, the joys that a camping/RV vacation can provide, helping build and restore family bonds and make memories that last a lifetime is one small but significant way we can say ‘thank you for your service’.  

Please visit the petition at http://wh.gov/nL8. In order to sign it you must register with your name and email address and must confirm your email address via a confirmation email message from the site. Once registered you may add your name to the support of this request. 

Feel free to share this link with everyone you know and encourage them to support our troops in this small but significant way.

Thanks for your support...together our voices are loud and clear. 

Happy camping - Evanne 
RV Cooking Show

KOA Offers Campers Free Night while Helping Kids with Cancer

Who can resist a night of free camping for a good cause? Plan a trip far from home or just around the corner and take advantage of KOA's 6th Annual "Come Kamp and Care With Us Weekend" May 8th and 9th. Make your reservations today and don't miss out on some super free camping - and some important kids caring! Here's the scoop...


Hundreds of Kampgrounds of America campgrounds across the U.S. and Canada are preparing for the 6th Annual "Come Kamp and Care With Us" weekend event, May 8 and 9, 2009. Campers who make reservations at participating KOA Kampgrounds pay for only Friday, May 8th and camp for free on Saturday, May 9th at nearly 400 participating KOA Kampgrounds in North America. Each KOA Kampground holds its own fun, fundraising activities at the campground that include auctions, crafts, games, and more.

"We look forward to this weekend in May, when we begin the camping season with an affordable event that brings families and friends together in safe, healthy, outdoor settings. It allows all of us to contribute to a program that means so much for these deserving kids who are facing the fight of their lives," says KOA President and Chief Operating Officer, Shane Ott. Ott is also on the board of directors of Camp Mak-A-Dream, a KOA Care Camp in Missoula, Montana.

KOA Care Camps are a network of 41 independent, specialized camps for children under treatment or in recovery from cancer, and their siblings. "Helping kids experience the camaraderie and fun of the outdoors with other cancer patients is in complete alignment with the mission of KOA, the goals of our KOA Owners Association, and is the very nature of what we do," says Ott.

The KOA Owners Association created the KOA Care Camps Trust in 1984 and raised $8,000 that year. In 2008, the KOA Care Camps Trust's total donation was just over $250,000, from the combined efforts of nearly 14,000 camping families who stayed more than 32,000 nights at 370 KOA locations, along with matching funds from the KOA Holdings Board of Directors.

Reservations for the May 8-9 "Come Kamp and Care With Us" event can be made online at KOA.com. Search by either state, province or zip code and choose from the campgrounds that are participating in the event. A list of participating campgrounds will also be available on KOA.com when reservations are available, beginning February 1.

"This is a great event for our campers, because we're sure to have a KOA close to wherever they live," Ott said. "Camping with family and friends in May at a wonderful KOA location just down the road from home is a great way to get the summer started."

Go ahead, get camping!

Evanne
RVCookingShow.com