Toutle River RV Resort, one of the largest RV resorts in the Pacific Northwest, is one of more than 300 parks across 47 states that participate in Tents for Troops, a nationwide program that connects active members of the military with RV parks and campgrounds. They provide an opportunity for active military members to tent or RV at some of the finest parks in the U.S. for a minimum of two nights, complimentary upon making advance reservations and presenting Military ID at check-in.
Tents for Trips was founded by Charlie Curry, developer of Toutle River RV Resort in Washington state. Curry has been offering free nights to military members at his own park since 2008. At that time, he was managing a band of Australian musicians who had recorded a song titled “Children of America,” that was a tribute to the soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who had protected the island country.
“After I heard the song, I thought to myself here these kids from Australia were doing more to honor our military than I was, and that’s when I came up with the idea that became Tents for Troops,” said Curry.
The Tents for Troops program is active. The majority of users are young families with one or two children. Approximately 50% camp in RVs and 50% camp in tents. “They are great guests. In fact, they build extraordinarily positive word of mouth for the park and the program as they share their T4T experience with other campers,” said Curry. “The goodwill benefits associated with this gesture far outweigh any site revenue lost and the Facebook publicity by celebrities such as Bret Michaels, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson add even more cache to the parks and the program,” Curry added.
##RVDT1461
