Elmo and Friends to Military Families in Asia-Pacific
Washington, D.C. January 14, 2010
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, has continued their partnership with the USO to bring The Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families to 13 U.S. military installations in Japan, South Korea and Guam. The free traveling tour kicks off on January 14th at Misawa Air Base in Japan, and features a live Muppet performance and giveaways from both Sesame Workshop and the USO.
The tour, produced in partnership with VEE Corporation, is a continuation of Sesame Workshop’s award-winning Talk, Listen, Connect initiative, providing resources and emotional support to military families with young children coping with challenging transitions in their lives. In fall 2008, Phase I of the tour traveled to 43 military installations in 23 states and performed 111 shows for more than 77,600 service members and their families. Phase II of the tour, which visited Europe, Alaska, and Hawaii, traveled to 21 military installations, performed 43 shows and reached more than 28,000 troops and their families.
“Sesame Workshop is proud of its ongoing commitment to serving the needs of military families, and we are thrilled to partner with our good friends at the USO to bring Elmo and theSesame Street Muppets to military families overseas,” said Gary E. Knell, Sesame Workshop president and CEO. “The U.S. tour last fall was a huge success and further underscored the need for resources to help military families cope with the challenges of deployment. This is our way of saying thank you to the families in our Armed Forces for their commitment to all of us.”
“Seeing the faces of the children during a performance is proof that this tour is something truly wonderful,” said Sloan Gibson, USO President. “The USO is thrilled to continue its partnership with Sesame Workshop and launch the next phase of such an amazing initiative. Deployments are the new norm for America’s military, and they’re tough on those left behind. Programs like this lift the spirits of our nation’s military families, give them tools to cope with the stresses of military life, and let them know America appreciates them.”
USO TOUR SCHEDULE (ASIA-PACIFIC)
Misawa AB | Japan | Jan 14 |
Yokota AB | Japan | Jan 16 |
NAF Atsugi | Japan | Jan 19 |
FA Yokosuka | Japan | Jan 21 |
Camp Foster | Japan | Jan 26 |
Camp Kinser | Japan | Jan 28 |
Kadena AB | Japan | Jan 30 |
Camp Courtney | Japan | Feb 3 |
USAG Humphreys | South Korea | Feb 9 |
USAG Yongsan | South Korea | Feb 10 |
Osan AB | South Korea | Feb 11 |
NF Marianas | Guam | Feb 16 |
Anderson AFB | Guam | Feb 18 |
*Tour dates are subject to change. Please visit www.sesamestreet.org/tlc or www.uso.org for the most up-to-date tour information.
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children’s television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. The Workshop produces local Sesame Street programs, seen in over 140 countries, and other acclaimed shows to help bridge the literacy gap including The Electric Company and Pinky Dinky Doo. Beyond television, the Workshop produces content for multiple media platforms on a wide range of issues including literacy, health and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help young children and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.
About the USO
The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases around the world, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services tailored to meet troop needs. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families, and the families of the fallen.
The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency; we rely on the generosity of our donors. In addition to individual donors and other corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, S & K Sales Co. and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, as well as other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). We strive to deliver maximum benefit for troops and their families from every donor dollar. For more information, please visit www.uso.org.
Contacts
Pam Hacker
Sesame Workshop
212.875.6225
pam.hacker@sesameworkshop.org
Karen Hart
Media Consultant for USO
202.492.6492
karenjo_hart@yahoo.com
Oname Thompson
USO
703.908.6471
othompson@uso.org
