Shrine gives circus tickets

Artice on CJOnline.com 01/29/2010

Arab Shrine of Topeka clowns from left, Lon Burke, “Cactus,” Keith Lawson, “OGee,” and Pat Devlin, “Paddy,” talk with children from the TDC Learning Center daycare Friday at the United Way offices in Topeka. The Shiners donated 5,000 tickets to the United Way of Greater Topeka for the upcoming Arab Shrine Circus.

Five thousand Topeka area children who might have missed this year's Arab Shrine Circus will get to go, thanks to the generosity of the Shriners.

Alan Holt, chief rabban of the Arab Shrine Temple presented the tickets Friday afternoon to Miriam Krehbiel, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce.

The United Way will distribute the tickets to a number of social service agencies who regularly deal with underprivileged children. Anyone wishing to obtain tickets should contact one of those agencies, United Way staff said.

The event was attended by children from the TDC Learning Center at Crestview, three Shrine clowns — "Cactus" (Lon Burke), "Paddy" Pat Devlin and "Ogee" (Keith Lawson) — and other more conventionally dressed Shrine notables. The children each received a red rubber clown nose and got a chance to play with the clowns as they awaited the formal presentation.

"We believe every child should be able to attend the circus," Holt said. "It gives us great pleasure to continue this tradition of donating circus tickets to area youth."

Holt said the donated tickets are worth $50,000.

This year's circus will be Feb. 26, 27 and 28.

Agencies that will distribute the tickets are: YMCA, Ronald McDonald House, A Child's World Day Care, Family Service and Guidance Center, ERC Resource and Referral, Let's Help Inc., Breakthrough House, Kansas Children's Service League, Catholic Charities, Boy Scouts, Doorstep, CASA, TARC, Topeka Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Salvation Army, TDC Learning Centers, Faith and Fellowship, Boys and Girl Club of Topeka, YWCA and Girl Scouts

2010 Potentate

Larry Tice

"UNITED WE CAN REACH NEW HORIZON"

Welcome to the Arab Shrine Website!

 My Lady Phyllis and I look forward to the 2010 year filled with all of the friendship and fellowship  that we have expierienced in all of my years as a Shriner.. 

 The temple has one of our biggest events of the year, our 71th Annual Circus coming up in February 2010. The Shriners, along with the Hamid Circus are preparinig to bring you another great show.Just click on the link just left of my picture for more details.

Let's not forget about the other links on this page, the most important one being the link to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.  If you know of a child that can be helped by the hospitals, please contact our office and we'll see what we can do to help.

Fraternally,

Larry