Sesame Street performs live for Eglin families

  • Published
  • By Capt Carrie L. Kessler
  • 53rd Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  It was a sunny day as Sesame Street rolled onto Eglin to perform a 25-minute free show for more than 490 families.

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, and the United Service Organizations partnered to bring The Sesame Street Experience for Military Families to more than 40 military installations across the United States. The bi-lingual show provides support and offers resources for military families with young children between the ages of 2 and 5 experiencing the effects of deployments, multiple deployments or when a parent returns home changed due to a combat related injury.

"The show is designed to help families start dialogue about deployments and separations," said Josh Bourque, VEE Corporation Performance Director. "We try to give them tools to help deal with all that, and it can help parents just as much as it can help children."

The companies worked with numerous base agencies and more than 40 volunteers from Eglin to make the show happen.

"We couldn't have done the show without all the volunteers," said Marge Peralta, 28th Services Squadron School Age Program assistant coordinator. We had a lot of good people doing good work.

As part of the Talk, Listen, Connect initiative, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, Rosita and Zoe got the kids dancing to the music while teaching about communication, sharing and feelings.

"This is a terrific, ground-breaking new program for military families," said Edward A. Powell, USO World Headquarters President and CEO. "Our partnership with Sesame Workshop on Talk, Listen Connect has been a great success and The Sesame Street Experience is a creative new way to deliver even more morale-boosting services and programs to our troops and their families."

Following the performance, numerous outreach materials to include videos, books and a framed group photo from the performance were available for families.

"The Sesame Street Experience for Military Families brings the Talk, Listen, Connect DVD and materials to life, and it reaches out directly to the families who face the challenges of military life each day," said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO, Sesame Workshop. "Our partnership with the USO further extends this initiative. We're visiting installations across the nation to help these families bond through emotionally difficult times by providing an educational and entertaining show and outreach activities they can share."

Lindsey Boxberger, mother of two and wife of a Hurlburt Field maintainer, deals with family separations often and looks to programs like these for support.

"It's great. You get to do something while 'daddy's' gone and it also teaches (Tanner) that he's not the only one with a daddy gone," she said. "I was hoping that although he's very young, it would help (him understand)."

For the production team, it's more than just a job.

"Everybody on this tour loves children and it's worth it to see them smile," said Mr. Bourque. "With the service that moms, dads, brothers and sisters do, this is the least we can do."

For more information on The Sesame Street Experience for Military Families or Talk, Listen, Connect, visit www.sesamestreet.org/tlc.

(Editor's Note: Information for this article was brought to you by Sesame Workshop.)