Blue Star Families Hosts Books on Bases Event for 500 U.S. Military Families in Colorado
Fort Carson, November 11, 2015 /3BL Media/ - On November 10th, Five hundred U.S. military children and their parents stationed throughout the Colorado Springs area, participated in a Blue Star Families’ Books on Bases program, coordinated with support from Disney and its media network ESPN. During the event, including a surprise guest appearance, Blue Star Families and Disney VoluntEARS engaged military children and their families in art activities, including: making pirate swords, crowns and bookmarks. As families left the event, each child was given a reusable Blue Star Families tote bag full of read-along stories from Disney Publishing Worldwide and Disney plush toys.
Created in 2009, Blue Star Families’ Books on Bases offers military kids a sense of continuity, safety, and belonging through the magic of reading. These events help military families spend quality time together, escape everyday stresses, and talk thoughtfully about home and life circumstances that might be difficult to discuss. Thanks to support from Disney, Books on Bases has distributed more than 70,000 books to military children and their families at more than 35 bases at home and overseas, including installations in Alaska, Hawaii, England, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Japan.
Over the span of their school career, the average military child has likely attended six to nine different schools with at least two transitions during high school. On average, military families move seven times more often than civilian families and are more likely to move long distances. In addition, 52 percent of families and their children have moved outside of the U.S. as a result of military orders. (Source: Blue Star Families’ 2015 Military Family Lifestyle Survey)
“Constantly changing schools, friends, teachers, and classroom curriculums are particularly challenging for both military children and their parents,” said Blue Star Families Program Director Megan Glynn. “That’s why Books on Bases is such a great program for military families. In addition to the proven educational advantages of reading to your child, it also has a calming effect and can help open up a dialogue between children and parents. This increased communication provides military families with greater coping skills and helps ensures success.”
Disney and Blue Star Families’ Books on Bases
With support from Disney, Blue Star Families, the nation’s largest and fastest growing chapter-based military family engagement organization, hosts both national and international Books on Bases events as part of an initiative to promote reading among military children and their families. To date Disney has contributed more than 70,000 books to the Books on Bases program, reaching more than 35 bases at home and overseas, including installations in Germany, England, Alaska, Hawaii, South Korea, Italy, and Japan. At Books on Bases events around the country, military families receive free books and engage in group reading activities, crafts and games along with Disney VoluntEARS. Blue Star Families created the Books on Bases program to positively impact the lives of military and veteran children through the power of reading, and to provide support and tools to military families.
MEDIA CONTACT: Bana Miller, Blue Star Families, bmiller@bluestarfam.org, 844-202-7827.
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About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families. With our partners, Blue Star Families hosts a robust array of morale and empowerment programs, including Books on Bases, Blue Star Museums, Operation Honor Corps, Blue Star Careers and Operation Appreciation. Blue Star Families also works directly with the Department of Defense and senior members of local, State and Federal government to bring the most important military family issues to light. Working in concert with fellow nonprofits, community advocates and public officials, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable. Our worldwide membership includes military spouses, children, parents and friends, as well as service members, veterans and civilians. For more information, visit bluestarfamilies.org, facebook.com/bluestarfamilies or twitter.com/BlueStarFamily.
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. Being a good corporate citizen is a time-honored Disney tradition. Through contributions, collaborations with local organizations, in-kind gifts and volunteering, Disney helps to brighten the lives of kids and families in need and strengthen communities around the world. For more information visit, thewaltdisneycompany.com/citizenship or twitter.com/CitizenDisney.
ESPN Corporate Citizenship
ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplifts the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use power of sport to positively address society’s needs through strategic community investments, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. For more information, go to www.espn.com/citizenship.
