Photo By 2nd Lt. Kevin Knallay | The Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders take a bow after performing during the Courtney...... read more read more
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By Lance Cpl. Kevin Knallay
III Marine Expeditionary Force PAO
CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan -- A chilly, December weekend added to the holiday ambience as more than 10,800 Okinawans, service members and families passed through Camp Courtney's gates Dec. 2-3 to attend the Courtney Christmas and Holiday Festival 2006.
The annual festival is intended to offer service members and their families a chance to feel at home during the holiday season and to let Okinawans share in the American festivities.
"We wanted to bring the Christmas holiday cheer to the troops and their families here," said Roy Forster, the publicity manager for Marine Corps Community Services. "(The festival) also gave Okinawans a chance to understand us and what we do."
The festival featured several live band performances, game booths, carnival rides, local food vendors and an appearance by Santa Claus. Members of the Tenko Ken Chinese Kung Fu Dojo performed a Kung Fu demonstration on Saturday, and both days featured a special performance by the Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders.
The cheerleaders' routine included songs and dances, as well as interactions with festival goers during limbo contests and games of "Deal or no Deal," a game based off the hit television game show bearing the same name.
"It was great to see everyone enjoying what the festival had to offer," said Lance Cpl. Matthew C. Pielmeier, a traffic management specialist with Camp Hansen's Traffic Management Office.
Kristy Prather, the entertainment coordinator for Marine Corps Community Services, said the festival turned out better than she predicted.
"This is the first year in several that we had no inclement weather, so the turnout was bigger than expected," she said. "We had a wide variety of entertainment, which pleased a lot of the guests."
| Date Taken: | 12.03.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2006 09:16 |
| Story ID: | 8618 |
| Location: | CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 35 |
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