Philadelphia, PA (February 21, 2007) – There´s nothing like the personal reward of making a young child happy and that´s what happens daily at Sesame Place, the nation´s only theme park based on the award-winning television show Sesame Street, located in Langhorne, PA. Imagine doing that as a work experience, especially for a senior citizen who might be the age of a grandparent. On Wednesday, March 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sesame Place will partner with AARP to host a Job Fair in the Human Resources Training Room at the theme park in Langhorne, PA. All AARP members and interested seniors ages 50 and better are invited to discuss employment opportunities at Sesame Place with the parks´ recruitment staff. In addition to meeting the hiring management, Sesame Street characters will be there to lend the true flavor of this one-of-a-kind theme park. Refreshments will be provided.
Interviews will be held on the spot for many seasonal team member positions in merchandising, culinary, guest relations, horticulture, customer relations as well as lifeguards, ride operators and photographers. Most positions start around $7 per hour, and schedules are flexible with a two-day availability minimum. Though the available positions are temporary, they may lead to other part-time opportunities.
Director of Human Resources, Gregory Hartley, talked about the park´s relationship with AARP. 'Last year´s open house planned with AARP was very successful. The team members we hired were a great addition to our multi-generational staff. As I walk through the park, it´s exciting to see the interaction between the generations. Working with AARP is a win-win situation for Sesame Place.”
To hear the senior employees speak, it´s clear working at Sesame Place is an unexpected pleasure. Rose Egan, 66, of Northeast Philadelphia started working at the park last year. She was a bookkeeper for 30 years, so this is quite a change. 'I´ve been at Sesame Place for one year, and it´s been the best year of my life!” she said. Egan works in the guest relations department at the toll booth in the parking lot and at the front gate turnstiles. She continued, 'I have so much fun with the guests when they arrive. Their excitement is contagious! I just smile when I remember this one little five year old boy who came with his family from Missouri. When it was time to enter the park, he put his hands on hips, looked up at his father and shouted … ‘I´m here! I´m finally here! I can´t believe it!´ I was thrilled for him ... and for me! What a great way to spend my time. I can´t believe I even get a check. It feels more like a bonus!”
Nick Zukovsky, 66, also lives in Northeast Phila. He was a mechanic most of his life and retired in July of 2005. His wife works full time and he needed to be busy again. He works in the warehouse and anywhere else they need him. Equally enthusiastic, he said, 'I love it here. It´s a wonderful place to work. You can´t imagine. It´s like they throw pixie dust on everyone when you walk through the door at Sesame Place. It´s like magic! Zukovsky´s responsibilities are to take orders for inventory items that are in the warehouse and bring them into the park. He´s also worked at 'Breakfast with Elmo' and made pizzas and salads in Elmo´s Eatery. He added,
"What I like best is working for a common cause to make the little ones happy and doing that while working side by side with young people and seniors. I work May through October, but if they need me, I´m happy to put in extra time. They´ve always been so nice to me and I appreciate the little perks like the cookouts with free hot dog day or water ice day. You know, they don´t have to do that. It´s the little things that make the job that much better."
Sesame Place is an equal-opportunity employer and supports a safe and drug-free workplace. Selected team members have the chance to earn free admission tickets to Sesame Place and complimentary tickets to the other nine Busch Entertainment theme parks, plus 30% merchandise and food discounts. Seasonal team members are also offered benefits through theStarbridge Insurance program.
Sesame Place, an interactive play experience for families with children ages 2-13 and named one of the top four theme parks in the Northeast by Family Fun magazine, is located 30 minutes north of Philadelphia and 90 minutes south of Manhattan. Sesame Place offers stimulating play activities featuring exciting rides, exhilarating water attractions, live stage shows, the 'Rock Around the Block” musical parade, the thrilling Vapor Trail roller coaster and memorable Sesame Street character greetings throughout the day. Sesame Place is a division of Busch Entertainment Corporation, which operates Sea World, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove.
Sesame Place opens May 5, 2007. It is open Friday through Sunday until May 25th when the park is open daily. After Labor Day, Sesame Place is open weekends only until October 27, 2007. Single Day General Admission is $44.50, children under 2 are free, and seniors (55+) are $39.50. There are varying selections of season passports such as the entry level Sesame Passport, upscale Big Bird Passport and platinum level Super Grover Passport with benefits throughout the season. To learn more about Passport benefits, Breakfast or Dinner with Big Bird & Friends, the line-up of special events and general park information, call 1-866-GO-4-ELMO. Please note, prices listed above are before taxes. Sesame Place information is also available on the web at sesameplace.com.
Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in children's lives around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales, Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, and Pinky Dinky Doo and ground breaking multimedia productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia.As a nonprofit, Sesame Workshop puts the proceeds it receives from sales of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales, Sagwa, and Pinky products right back into its educational projects for children around the world. Find the Workshop online at www.sesameworkshop.org.
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