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An unusual sprite flitted across U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach recently with her sidekick, a hand sanitizer bottle with butterfly wings, to remind troops to remain socially connected while physically distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Dubbed Desse the Physical Distancing Fairy, the frilly and feathery character was the brainchild of Victoria Hanrahan and Kimberly Stockton. Hanrahan is entertainment director for Ansbach’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, and Stockton is the costume specialist for THEATRIX, Installation Management Command-Europe’s theatrical costume collection and workshop.
“I was speaking to my supervisor, and he thought it was a cool idea,” Hanrahan said in a garrison statement. “It just took off.”
Stockton, dressed as the winged and bespectacled creature with a silvery bouffant, colorful cloth face covering and white gloves, visited places where people gather on base, such as the post office and dining facility, to remind them of disease prevention measures in a memorable way. She’ll continue to do so randomly, the command statement said.
“(The visit) truly brightened my day,” said Dina DeBoer, family advocacy program specialist with Army Community Service, quoted in the statement.
garland.chad@stripes.com Twitter: @chadgarland