Tag Archives: Families

Sesame Street Puppeteers Take ‘Elmo’ and ‘Rosita’ to Germany on a USO Adventure

Posted on October 19, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Celebrated puppeteers Kevin Clash (Elmo) and Carmen Osbahr (Rosita) bring their Sesame Street characters to life during a performance at Ramstein Elementary School in Germany October 14, 2010, as part of a USO educational tour. In a show of appreciation, €˜Elmo€™ and €˜Rosita€™ sang, danced, and interacted with military kids throughout their performance. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)

“I am so proud to be a part of Sesame Workshop’s Talk, Listen, Connect Initiative and to have the opportunity to go on a USO tour to Germany and uplift the spirits of today’s military schoolchildren.  They, unlike most of today’s youth, often face an array of changes on a routine basis and it is nice to know they aren’t being ignored or forgotten.” – Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo

Elmo and Rosita and the celebrated puppeteers who bring them to life, Baltimore native Kevin Clash and Mexico City native Carmen Osbahr, lifted the spirits of nearly 1,000 troops and military schoolchildren stationed at four military school in Germany!  It’s the first tour for both Clash and Osbahr, whose performances are an extension of the USO/Sesame Street Experience for Military Families in collaboration with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, and the USO.

As part of the ten performances they put on, Elmo and Rosita sang songs and interacted with military school kids.  They also danced and expressed their thanks to schoolchildren, in addition to helping the young children in the audience – most ages 2 to 8 –  cope with challenging transitions in their lives, such as deployments and when a parent comes home with a combat-related injury.

It was a fantastic, family friendly tour that won’t soon be forgotten. Check out more pictures below!

A student at Ramstein Elementary School in Germany hugs Sesame Streetâ€'s Rosita€ after a USO-sponsored performance October 14, 2010. Osbahr, who performs €Rosita,€™ began her relationship with Sesame Street as a teenager in 1985. Part of Sesame Workshop'€™s Talk Listen Connect program for military families, her other credits include Kiki€™ in The Puzzle Place, a role in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland and as Lily€™ in Johnny and The Sprites for the Disney Channel. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)

Celebrated puppeteers Kevin Clash (Elmo) and Carmen Osbahr (Rosita) bring their Sesame Street characters to life during a performance at Ramstein Elementary School in Germany October 14, 2010. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)

Sesame Street's €˜Rosita€™ (right) and Elmo pose for a photo after a performance at Vogelweh Elementary School in Germany October 13, 2010, as part of a USO educational tour. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)

Kevin Clash head out into the crowd to let the children get up and close and personal with on of their favorite Sesame Street characters - Elmo, of course! - during a performance at Kaiserslautern Elementary School in Germany October 13, 2010, as part of a USO educational tour. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)

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Posted in Celebrity Entertainment, Europe, Families

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“Military Wives (And Moms) Are Heroes, Too”

Posted on October 14, 2010 by | 1 Comment

 

Military wife and mom Kelly Walker gets ready for the gala. (Photo by Kelly Wallace)

 

There was a special pre-party event that occurred before the 2010 USO Gala this year: P&G (our newest Worldwide Strategic Partner) set up a beauty suite for the wives of the Service Member Honorees of the Year!

iVillage’s Kelly Wallace was there to capture the moment, and spent time with Kelly Walker, the wife of Sgt. Eric Walker, the USO’s Marine of the Year.  “I very much enjoyed it,” Walker, a mother or two, told Wallace after her beauty sessions. “I don’t get pampering, I guess, very much, so it was quite enjoyable to have someone do my hair and my makeup.”

But, as Wallace points out, none of these women do what they do for attention or awards.  Walker concluded, “I’m just very proud of (my husband) and what he does, and so I’m honored for what I get to do for him.”

We’re proud of all of these military wives and moms (and their Service Member Honoree spouses!) and hope you’ll take a minute to watch the video below, then say “Thank You” to the military wife or mom in your life…

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Posted in Families, Recognition, Troops

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Wilmer Valderrama Lends Star Power to Support The USO through LullaPets!

Posted on October 1, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Banjo the Bear is just one of many colorful LullaPets available to record a message from your loved one!

Actor and producer Wilmer Valderrama and his network of celebrity friends are working together to launch “LullaPets” The Musical Companions. LullaPets is a child’s companion product, equipped with its own name and biographical profile, removable wireless remote controlled MP3 player and a built-in voice recorder, allowing parents to record voice messages and lullabies for their children. It includes ten pre-loaded lullabies and two audio books.

Each celebrity “ambassador” has the opportunity to donate a set percentage of proceeds to a charity of their choice.  Valderrama a USO tour veteran and avid supporter of troops and their families, has chosen the USO as his charity of choice!  For families with loved ones overseas, LullaPets can be a great companion and provide children with the sound of a parent’s voice in their absence.  And with a variety of characters to choose from, every kid can find a favorite.

For Valderrama, supporting the troops has been a priority for years.  The Dry Land had this to say in a recent interview with Movieline: “So I got on this plane and the first trip [with the USO] I went to was Germany, and I brought my comedy show there, and the audience was just the most amazing audience to perform for, man. They were just hungry for entertainment and humor. I got hooked right after that first visit. I went to nine countries back-to-back, and then I went to Iraq and Afghanistan, and now I’m a longtime member of the USO.”

As you know, the USO is a private, nonprofit organization, and relies on the generosity of individuals like Valderrama and corporations to support its activities.  To help Valderrama in his efforts to support the USO, consumers can simply provide the promotion code “Wilmer” on the LullaPets website, www.lullapets.com, or by calling the LullaPets hotline at 888.298.6507.  We thank Valderrama for his support!

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Posted in Celebrity Entertainment, Families, Support, Troops

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Connecting Military Teens Worldwide

Posted on September 12, 2010 by | Leave a comment

By Vernessa Neu, Founder, The Military Teen Network

The Military Teen Network recently launched MiltaryTeenOnline.com, an interactive website specifically designed for military teens.

Many of the approximately 1.4 million active duty members in the U.S. military and an additional 848,000 members of the reserve have teenagers in their household. These teens not only face the pressures of everyday life of adolescence but they face additional stress factors such as deployments, family separation, and new schools. MilitaryTeenOnline.com is an excellent way to connect these teens to other teens in the same or similar situations.

The Military Teen Network founder Vernessa Neu, 2nd from left, worked directly with Yokosuka-based teens (l-r) Dusty-Lynn Keolanui, Kennethia Smith, and Meghan Pomeroy to create MilitaryTeen.com. (Photo courtesy of Vernessa Neu)

MilitaryTeenOnline.com is an easily accessible resource that provides a variety of opportunities for teens to connect, chat, blog, and share their experiences. Other features on the site include a Military Teen’s Guide to Deployment, moving tips, forums, and duty station ratings from a teen’s perspective.

All teens, including those with parents who are active duty, reserve, and guard members are invited to become a part of the network.  You can follow us on facebook.com/militaryteen and twitter.com/militaryteen.

*****

Join The Military Teen Network for our first virtual roundtable discussion!
Date: Tue, Sept 14, 2010 – 8:00pm-8:45pm EST
Topics: Fast & Fatty (in honor of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month) and Base Teen Programs
Where: Meet in the MilitaryTeenOnline.com chat room at 8pm.
Please join us & help the community learn more about military teens’ needs.  One participant will walk away with a sponsored gift.

Vernessa Neu, is a Navy Veteran, military spouse, mother, and former military teen. She and her family currently reside in Yokosuka, Japan where Vernessa volunteers her time working with youth in the community.  The opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of Vernessa Neu and do not necessarily reflect those of the USO.

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Operation Purple Camp Helps Military Kids Cope

Posted on July 20, 2010 by | 2 Comments

Image Courtesy of Operation Purple Camp

CNN’s Jason Carroll reports on Operation Purple, a special camp created just for kids with a parent deployed in the military.  First Lady Michelle Obama cited both Operation Purple and the Sesame Street/USO Experience for special recognition in a speech at the National Military Family Association earlier this year, saying “One of the great lessons of recent years is that you don’t need to be a military expert to help…Consider the Sierra Club, which partnered with the NMFA to create Operation Purple — summer camps that have made a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of military kids. Or my favorite, Sesame Street, which has partnered with the USO to reach more than 100,000 military families and helped kids cope with some very challenging situations.”

Operation Purple (the name comes from the fact that all branches of the military are jointly included) has grown to include over 30,000 kids and teens in camping at locations across the country.  Campers hail from all ranks and Services, active and reserve components; priority is given to children whose parents are currently within a 15 month deployment “window,” the precise dates of which are announced on an annual basis.  In addition to traditional outdoor camp, programming also includes Operation Purple Healing Adventures, designed for children and families of wounded warriors.  The best part?  It’s free!  2011 applications are now being accepted.

The USO lifts the spirits of troops and their families millions of times a year at thousands of places worldwide, and we’re especially proud of everyone who provides opportunities for military kids.  Have you been to an Operation Purple camp?  What other opportunities for military kids are available this summer?  Share your comments below!

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Sesame Street/USO Tour Touches Over 150k Military Families Worldwide Since 2008!

Posted on June 16, 2010 by | 1 Comment

Grover jumps for joy at Hicken AFB in Hawaii for just a few of the over 150,000 military families he's visited worldwide! (USO Photo)

The Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families, a free traveling USO show based on Sesame Workshop’s award winning Talk, Listen, Connect initiative, hit a new milestone during their performance at Naval Station Mayport on June 10, having entertained and educated over 150,000 military families since it debuted in June 2008!

“The USO couldn’t be more thrilled with the impact that the Sesame Street/USO tour is having on our nation’s military community and with our ongoing partnership with Sesame Workshop,” says USO President and CEO Sloan Gibson.  ”Touching more than 150,000 troops and their families is more that we could have ever hoped for and it lets us know that tours and programs like this are important. They do more than entertain, they lift spirits and provide vital tools that make it easier for military families to cope with the challenges of deployments.”

With the help of Elmo and his friends, military children learn about ways to deal with the hardships of deployments and separation from loved ones.  Military families in attendance experience a 25-minute character performance and receive giveaways and outreach materials.  To date, the tour has traveled over 50,000 miles to 90 bases in nine countries and 27 states, performing 237 shows for service members and their families.

Gary Knell, President and CEO, Sesame Workshop, has this to say about the tour: “The momentum that this show has gathered since it first performed for military kids and families is unbelievable. To see how families come together and then use the messages from the show to talk to their kids is the greatest reward that we could ask for. We at Sesame Workshop are thrilled to continue this work with our partners and friends at the USO and reinforce our commitment to military families.”

The tour is free for all military ID holders and is currently half way through a five-month summer leg.  Click here to see the full schedule and click here for a list of FAQs.

We hope you enjoy the video below, but before you watch, Elmo has a special message for you!  “Elmo is so excited to come and see all his military friends and family. We’ll sing fun songs and even learn something with Elmo, Rosita, Cookie Monster and Zoe. See you there!”

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Posted in Families, Support, Troops, US

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