Elmo and friends educate Incirlik families

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Anthony J. Hyatt
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Incirlik children and parents attended a free, live performance by their favorite Sesame Street characters July 11 at the Club Complex.

The performance, called "The Sesame Street Experience," is part of a tour to U.S. military bases worldwide and is the result of a partnership between the Sesame Street Workshop and the United Service Organizations.

The program is geared specifically toward military families and is designed to help children of military members deal with the stresses of deployment.

During the show, Elmo, Rosita, Cookie Monster and Grover help Katie, their military friend, cope with change while entertaining the audience with singing and dancing.

Katie is a character who only exists on the Sesame Street and USO Experience for Military Families tour, according to Lonnie Cooper, the USO tour manager.

"The plot of the story is that she (Katie) comes in and tells all of our friends (Elmo and company) that she is going to have to move to a new base, and they help her understand how to keep her old friends, as well as make new friends," said Cooper.

Audience members received giveaways, such as Talk, Listen, Connect kits, twirl lights, USO brochures, bandanas, post-it notes, Picture Me books, T-shirts, magnets and buttons.

"The show was vibrant, exciting and very well put together," said April Dingle, who attended the show with her two children, Brittany and Ariel, and her husband, Staff Sgt. Eugene Dingle. "Shows like these are important because it shows children of all ages, including adults (that) 'change is not always easy, but it's not always bad'."

"Few people back in the United States really understand how much work goes into being in the military, not just for the troops, but also for the families," said Cooper. "When a parent is called to serve, the entire family is called to serve. This is just a way for us to support military families."

The tour debuted at Fort Wainwright in Alaska April 23 and will wrap up in Spain in September. The tour is expected to visit bases in 10 countries and play more than 90 shows.

For more information on the Sesame Street and USO Experience for Military Families, visit www.uso.org or www.sesameworkshop.org.