NYS Division of Veterans’ Services officials announce free virtual programs for children in military families
Leaders team up with five top attractions statewide to provide special online programs in honor of Month of the Military Child
ALBANY, N.Y. (April 6, 2021) – New York State Division of Veterans’ Services officials have announced that children of all ages in New York’s military families can enjoy private tours of several of New York’s top attractions — and take their parents along for the ride — free of charge from the comfort of their homes during the upcoming month, thanks to new collaborations with some of the state’s most popular sites.
The special programs take place on several Saturdays and Sundays during the month of April, celebrated in New York and across the country as the “Month of the Military Child,” honoring the courage and perseverance that children in military families display on every day of the year.
“Military children are the unsung heroes of service members and veterans across our state,” said New York State Division of Veterans’ Services Executive Deputy Director Joel Evans. “From frequent moves that require adapting to new communities and new schools to dealing with the stress of absences while a parent is on a deployment, children in military families make sacrifices, overcome challenges, and display extraordinary resilience. It is our honor to bring safe, socially distant, family friendly joy to them in a difficult year, taking them to some of New York’s greatest sites without ever leaving the comfort of their homes.”
Advance registration is required for anyone wishing to attend any of these programs, ensuring that Month of the Military Child certificates for each participating child will be ready to present at the day of the virtual event.
Anyone interested in attending any of these virtual programs should send an email to benjamin.pomerance@veterans.ny.gov with the subject line “Month Of The Military Child Registration.”
During the upcoming month, military children and their parents can take part in any of the following virtual programs free of charge:
* April 17, 1 p.m.: Board the USS Intrepid and blast off on an outer space adventure aboard the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Get behind the scenes on this historic spacecraft, and engage with your tour guide on fun activities about the past, present, and future of space exploration.
* April 18, 1 p.m.: Swim with sharks and stingrays at the Long Island Aquarium. Join one of the aquarium’s educators on a unique trip inside the habitats of these fascinating creatures.
* April 24, 12:30 p.m.: Tour the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Go inside this shrine to The Great American Game, and get up close and personal with items once used by some of the most famous ballplayers in our nation’s history.
* April 25, 2 p.m.: Get your fireproof suit on — and inflame your curiosity with the glassblowers at the Corning Museum of Glass. Learn about the many roles that glass plays in our lives — and then check out the hot glass demo as an expert craftsman uses fire to shape glass into something unique.
* May 1, 2 p.m.: Meet the otters. Go inside the Otter Falls habitat at The Wild Center, and spend an hour with remarkably playful, photogenic, fascinating creatures.
Every military child attending any of these programs will be virtually presented with a personalized Month of the Military Child certificate and a Month of the Military Child proclamation at the end of the event.
The registration email should list the full names of each participating child as well as the names of any parents and/or guardians who will join the child or children on the virtual tour. Those who provide a mailing address at registration also will receive a hard copy of the certificate and the Governor’s Month of the Military Child Proclamation by mail. This information will be used solely for registration purposes for this event and will not be shared with any other outside entity.
“The Military Family Foundation takes tremendous pride in supporting military service members and their families,” said Tracy DuShane, Military Family Foundation chief executive officer and founder. “We especially take the time to ensure that we are building programs that support and help our military children grow from birth to college age.
“We look forward to continuing to sponsor programs and services with our partners for military children to enjoy and learn from,” DuShane continued. “What better way to have fun, meet new people and learn new things. Thank you for all you do. Keep shining on. Together we can make a difference!”
(New York State Division of Veterans’ Services)
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