Kermit the Frog Makes First Stop of His 50th Anniversary World Tour in Kermit, Texas

Kermit the Frog Makes First Stop of His 50th Anniversary World Tour in Kermit, Texas

KERMIT, Texas, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- To honor the 50th anniversary of his meteoric rise from the swamp to international icon, Kermit the Frog kicked off his celebratory World Tour on October 14 in the aptly named town of Kermit, Texas (population 5,714). At a press conference, Kermit Mayor Ted Westmoreland officially proclaimed the day "Kermit the Frog Day" in honor of the world's most beloved Frog and presented Kermit the Frog with the key to the city. In addition, the town dedicated a park to Kermit the Frog, painted his image on a water tower, renamed a street "Kermit the Frog Avenue" and arranged for a special, one-day Kermit the Frog cancellation stamp to postmark all mail leaving the Kermit, Texas post office.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051017/NYM176-ahttp://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051017/NYM176-bhttp://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051017/NYM176-c )

"For 50 years, Kermit the Frog has built a career on knowing the value of making people laugh, bringing smiles to those young and old, and teaching people how to treat one another," noted Westmoreland. "We are proud to share our town's name with such an acclaimed entertainer, as well as call him an honorary citizen of this great community."

In true Lone Star State spirit, the town of Kermit, Texas embraced the arrival of Kermit the Frog in a grand manner. As part of the Homecoming festivities, Kermit the Frog announced the 2005 Kermit High School Homecoming Queen, was presented as the honorary Homecoming King and served as Grand Marshal in the annual Kermit Homecoming Parade. As a final tribute to the famous Frog, hundreds of townspeople gathered en masse onto the high school's football field. Donning green cowboy hats, they stood in formation to create a "50," as well as an outline of Kermit's head for a one-of-a-kind aerial shot.

Months of detailed preparations preceded the celebration, encompassing everything from the decoration of store windows and a complete town clean up to the local Dairy Queen that offered green versions of their select menu items including green fries, green gravy and green ice cream. In addition, the students from Kermit High School created a six-foot, steel sculpture of Kermit for the Frog's special day. The grassroots effort included widespread support of the city council, parks department, local businesses and the school district.

"I am over the moon with the welcome I received from the townspeople of Kermit," noted Kermit the Frog. "This celebration has truly set the bar so high, that other stops will really have to leap -- and I know a thing or two about leaping -- to match the love and support I experienced in Kermit, Texas."

Following his stop in Kermit, Texas, Kermit will continue on his World Tour where he will visit fans in 50 destinations around the world, touching down in dozens of countries. The next stops on his world tour are NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and an opening night performance with the Rockettes. For more information about Kermit's World Tour, visit http://www.muppets.com/.

About the Muppets

The Muppets deliver smiles and laughter to the world through heartwarming characters and stories inspired by the art of puppetry. Led by Kermit the Frog, the Muppets are a broadly appealing global franchise built on 50 years of original, award-winning entertainment that includes 44 Emmy nominations, six feature films, and The Muppet Show which captured over 235 million weekly viewers worldwide. The Muppets are true celebrities, with Kermit the Frog having his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the past year, under the management of The Walt Disney Company, the Muppets have been embraced by millions of people as part of a global re-launch of the beloved franchise that will culminate in the release of significant filmed entertainment projects. This year marks Kermit the Frog's 50th anniversary, a major milestone The Muppets will honor through a 15-month worldwide celebration that kicked off in October 2005 with Kermit's World Tour. Visit http://www.muppets.com/ for more news and information.

About Muppets Holding Company

The Muppets Holding Company, LLC (MHC) is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). MHC was established in April 2004 when The Walt Disney Company purchased the Muppets from The Jim Henson Company. MHC's mission is to ensure that this beloved, world-class brand franchise entertains audiences of all ages by leveraging Disney's best creative resources and worldwide distribution platforms. MHC plans to develop new content in all arenas, including television, feature films, music, stage plays and theme parks, and to enhance the Muppets global licensing and distribution presence.

Contact: Corie Jackson Porter Novelli (310) 444-7027

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051017/NYM176-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051017/NYM176-b http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051017/NYM176-c AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: The Muppets Holding Company, LLC

CONTACT: Corie Jackson of Porter Novelli, +1-310-444-7027

Web site: http://www.muppets.com/

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