Military Families Near and Far is a website launched in November 2011 by Sesame Workshop in cooperation with Defense Centres of Excellence. The project uses the series Sesame Street and The Electric Company. The site acts as a communications method for military families and the deployed. The site features Elmo in a video with Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. At the November 5 launch event, there were appearances by Abby Cadabby, Gordon, and Electric Company characters Jessica and Shock. The Sesame duo sang "Near and Far", a Christopher Cerf song from 1995.