Trevor Romain Takes the USO Sponsored “With You All the Way” Tour to Ft. Belvoir Elementary School to Help Kids Cope With Stresses of Military Life
Military kids laugh and cry and learn they share the same frustrations as military kids worldwide
Ft. Belvoir, VA. (October 13th, 2011) – Award winning author and illustrator Trevor Romain brought the “With You All the Way” program to hundreds of military kids at Ft. Belvoir Elementary School Wednesday, to offer them advice on how to deal with some of the struggles that go along with having a loved one in the military.
Romain, who put on two performances for students in grades two through six made kids laugh when he shared with them jokes, childhood stories and an animated video that stresses the importance of things like kids doing their homework and exercising and eating healthy. Some students were brought to tears, when Romain talked about some of the common emotions military kids often experience when a loved one is deployed. Just about every kid in the morning performance raised their hand when Romain asked if any of them had a parent that has ever been deployed. When asked by Romain how they felt by the deployment, one kid said they were upset. A young boy said he had to help his mom around the house more, when his father went away. Romain told students it is okay to be frustrated and the best way to deal with their feelings is to share them with a family member or friend and write them down in a journal. All of the students will get their own personal journal, when they receive a “With You All the Way” Empowerment Pack next week, compliments of the USO. In addition to a journal, the kit includes 6 DVD’s in both English and Spanish that deal with issues such as facing fears and bullies. Trevor’s new book “The Art of Caring” is also included in the kit for parents.
Romain, who leads the USO sponsored “With You All the Way” program, travels around the world, using humor to help children cope with serious issues such as deployment, reintegration and when a parent returns home from war with invisible and/or visible wounds. The With You All the Way Fall 2011 tour kicked off at Fort Bragg, North Carolina last month with a new element to the program, to help children of wounded warriors cope when their parent’s injuries.
After wrapping up three performances at MCB Quantico Base elementary schools in Virginia today, the next stop for Romain is Ft. Carson, Colorado, where he’ll have performances October 25-28. The With You All the Way program has touched more than 90,000 children since the program began in 2009.
About the USO
The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. 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 volunteers and donors. In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Procter & Gamble. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit http://www.uso.org.
Contacts:
Oname Thompson
(703) 908-6471
othompson@uso.org
Sharee Posey
(703) 740-4980
sposey@uso.org
Oname Thompson
(703) 908-6471
othompson@uso.org
Sharee Posey
(703) 740-4980
sposey@uso.org
About the USO
The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. 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 volunteers and donors. In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Procter & Gamble. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit http://www.uso.org.