South Jersey Residents Present Free Patriots Basecamp for Active Duty & Retired Military Members & Families 5/31-6/1 in Philly

Active duty and retired military members transitioning into new careers or college will be presented with a wealth of resources by The Sports & Education Expo with a Free Patriots Basecamp during Philadelphia’s Year of the Veteran, on Saturday, May 31, 10-5, and Sunday, June 1, 11-5, at 1101 Arch Street in Hall A of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. At the same time, children, grandchildren and spouses of attending patriots can enjoy the entire action-packed weekend of interactive sports, workshops, entertainment, sports celebrities, and other activities at no charge. South Jersey managing partners Sherri and Perry Gold of Moorestown and Marc Rosenthal of Haddonfield are launching the Sports & Education Expo. They are co-sponsoring the Expo’s Patriots Basecamp with Bob Carullo, a Shamong resident and executive director of Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow (SMART).

In partnership with Philadelphia’s Veterans Multi-Service Center and its new Women’s Veteran Center, the Patriots Basecamp will present educational, career, housing, legal and other resources for active duty, transitioning military members and veterans who display ID’s.  No advance registration is required. Among the many Patriots Basecamp participants will be the Suiting Warriors Foundation, providing free men’s and women’s interview attire, enabling patriots to leave the Expo with donated interview clothing in hand.

Attending military and veteran families can also sample 12 interactive sports led by the 76ers and other local sports teams and organizations, meet sports celebrities, visit exhibitors, attend a College Planning Fair noon to5 on Sunday, and participate in workshops, demos and clinics by renowned leaders on all elements of youth sports, education, health and wellness--from dealing with bullying to preventing concussions.

Government and veteran service organizations exhibit for free, and pricing is tailored for major industry, small business and academia. For exhibitor details visit: www.sportseducationexpo.com/exhibitors  For sponsorship information, visit www.sportseducationexpo.com/sponsorship-opportunitiesor contact Bob Carullo at 609-304-2904 or bcarullo@smartstates.com

“The Sports & Education Expo was created for parents of children 5-18, youth coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers and guidance counselors who serve our youth on the playing field and in the academic arena, as well as our valued military and veteran families, so that together we can build a foundation that encourages development, respect, responsibility, confidence and healthy choices,” said Sherri Gold, Sports & Education Expo event director and managing partner. For more information, visitwww.sportseducationexpo.com.

The Veterans Multi-Service Center (VMC) is the primary non-profit agency in the Philadelphia and surrounding areas that provides a comprehensive resource center available to all veterans in need. Founded in 1980 to address the multiple needs of Vietnam Veterans, the VMC’s programs and assistance have grown and diversified to encompass the needs of Veterans of all wars and conflicts, up to and including Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn Veterans. For more information, visit http://www.pvmsec.org/

Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow (SMART) works to enhance technology-based economic development, international trade, technology education and workforce development on behalf of academia, industry government labs/agencies and professional associations in DE, MD, NJ and PA to increase Mid-Atlantic national leadership and global competitiveness. For more information, visit http://www.smartstates.com/