COMEDY CENTRAL(R) Partners With the USO for the New Military Outreach Program 'PVT Jokes' to Deliver Comedy Kits to American Troops
NEW YORK, Sept. 1 -- There's not a lot that's funny about being stationed away from loved ones, but COMEDY CENTRAL hopes to bring some laughter to the troops with the launch of "PVT Jokes," a new military outreach partnership with the USO that delivers comedy kits to forward operating bases (FOBs) as well as U.S. military hospitals at home and overseas. The partnership was announced today by the USO (United Service Organizations, Inc.) and COMEDY CENTRAL.
With the goal of reaching more than 200 FOBs and U.S. military hospitals at launch, "PVT Jokes" began distributing kits this week that include CD and DVD donations from COMEDY CENTRAL Records and COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment. Each kit will feature COMEDY CENTRAL DVD titles, including the "COMEDY CENTRAL Roasts" of Flavor Flav, Pamela Anderson and William Shatner, "COMEDY CENTRAL Presents Southern Gents of Comedy" and "Best of COMEDY CENTRAL Presents" stand-up; as well as CDs from comedians including George Lopez, Dane Cook, D.L. Hughley, Norm Macdonald and Harland Williams. More information can be found at http://www.comedycentral.com/pvtjokes/index.jhtml.
"Knowing that troops often seek comedy to help cope with the tremendous hardships of war, we knew that COMEDY CENTRAL was in a unique position to make a contribution to the lives of these tremendous individuals," said Kelleigh Dulany, vice president, corporate responsibility, COMEDY CENTRAL. "Through our partnership with the USO, we hope that 'PVT Jokes' can bring a brief respite from the reality of their situation and some levity, however small, and laughs to the soldiers stationed so far away from their friends and families."
"This partnership with COMEDY CENTRAL presents a tremendous opportunity to lift the sprits of American's troops who need it the most," said Sloan Gibson, USO president and CEO.
This marks the second partnership between COMEDY CENTRAL and the USO which brought "The Colbert Report" to Iraq on a USO tour entitled "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando" from June 8-11 to tape and perform shows in front of the troops, the first TV show in USO history to produce a week of shows in a combat zone.
The USO is a private, nonprofit organization that lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families. In times of peace and war, the USO consistently delivers its special brand of entertainment and comfort to service men and women around the world. USO entertainment tours are essential to fulfilling the USO's mission of boosting troop morale. In 2008, celebrity volunteers traveled to 27 countries and 23 states, entertaining more than 236,000 troops and family members.
The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, S & K Sales Co. and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined millions of individual donors to support the USO. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.
COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 95 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of Viacom Inc.'s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is www.comedycentral.com. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit Press Central, COMEDY CENTRAL's press Web site at www.comedycentral.com/press.
SOURCE COMEDY CENTRAL Corporate Communications
Jamie Lee, COMEDY CENTRAL, +1-212-767-3949 [email protected] or Travis T. Burgin, USO, +1-703-740-4982 [email protected]