Photo By Sabrina Fine | Performers from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus pose with children for a...... read more read more
By MC2 Sabrina Fine
Navy Region Mid-Atlantic
NORFOLK, Va. - The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus entertained more than 600 military children and families during a performance at Naval Station Norfolk, April 9.
“I am glad we were able to give a sample of the circus to our wonderful military families,” said Johnathan Lee Iverson, a ringmaster for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. “We read classic stories, and introduced ourselves to the audience,”
The event was organized by Fleet and Family Services as well as Blue Star Families, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization created by military families who are committed to helping military families through different types of programs.
“April is month of a military child so it’s a great time to celebrate children,” said Stephanie Himel-Nelson, director of communications and a co founder for Blue Star Families. “The theme for the circus is “Legends,” so it fits in with military heroes, and our military kids are our smallest ones.”
Part of the sacrifice that most service members provide when serving their enlistment is having to deploy on multiple tours away from their families, which many times, If they are parents, they often miss out on their kids’ birthdays, recitals, holidays, and other events in their children’s lives.
“It’s good for the kids to know that people appreciate the sacrifices that they are making. The kids are sending off a mom or dad or sometimes both, on a regular basis, and they [the parents] miss out on things,” said Himel-Nelson. “So we should do this more often and tell them thank you, we appreciate everything you do and we are thinking about you.”
Diana Clayton, a military spouse who attended the event with her son, Oscar, and her son’s friends, pointed out her kids through the crowd of children, laughing, and smiling at the clowns.
“Sometimes it’s hard for Oscar, our son, to adjust and understand what his dad does,” said Clayton. “The hours that his father works are long and sometimes overnight.”
Clayton said she likes to attend many of the events the military offers, with the kids, because of the support she gets.
“The three of them are having a blast, and my son was asking me if we can go to the circus when they are in Hampton,” said Clayton. “I said yes, that way he can get the full experience.”
During the event, gift bags were given out to the children and tickets for the circus were raffled at the end of the show.
“It’s always great to bring the circus to the community and we are always honored to entertain military, because quite honestly we are only able to entertain because what the military does for us,” said Iverson with a huge smile.
Tickets are now on sale for the Norfolk Scope and Hampton Coliseum. For more information or to buy tickets visit www.Ringling.com
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 04.15.2014 16:52 |
| Story ID: | 126106 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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