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A Spectacular Merry-Go-Round in the Park

Dilly the Clown, Mrs. Click & Andrea (the face painter) were invited to the Maple Ridge Park to help Royal LePage Brookside celebrate summer with their staff.   What a grand time… we sang songs, played games, went for ride in the Click & Clown Company wagon, did a little magic, made a WHOLE bunch of balloons and the big highlight of the show was Dilly’s famous merry-go-round.   Playing “William Tell” with the balloon apple, the balloon bow and arrows was a blast!

While we were there to entertain the Royal LePage staff and their families, they were so gracious to share us with others in the park.  Andrea had a ball as she decorated lots of happy faces… and as usual Mrs. Click captured the whole event with her Nikon.

We were amazed at how much everyone from the party participated in the show.  The kids were so very well behaved and polite.  This great big happy family was a true pleasure to entertain.   A big THANK YOU to Royal LePage Brookside!

And in the Centre Ring… The Greatest Community in the Lower Mainland!

So step right up folks… let us tell you one and all… about the greatest little Night Market in these here parts…

The Click & Clown Company was invited to join the Night Market for a very worthwhile fundraiser… The Delta Hospice Society.

We arrived just before 4 p.m. and began taking photos and entertaining children of all ages… The crowd started small, but didn’t take long to grow and grow… Dilly didn’t stop making balloons from the start of the show until he left at 9 p.m. collecting a sizeable amount of change while charging 50 cents a balloon… all proceeds went to the Delta Hospice Society… Mrs. Click captured all of the excitement while Dilly danced, sang songs, performed some magic, played with “MOOKA” the Cow and made the kids of all ages enjoy smiles, laughter and fun throughout the evening.

We would like to thank all of the organizers, volunteers, vendors and everyone who helped to make this event such a success… We hope to get invited back next year… or perhaps another show in Ladner.

Homemade Fun at the New Osprey Village Farmer’s Market!

There were so many products to look at and buy… there were so many things to do… there was so much good food to eat and great entertainment to enjoy!

Dilly and Mrs. Click had a ball as the huge turnout of young and old came to share in the fun at our community’s first Farmer’s Market.  Dilly made special Farmer’s Market hats for the kids and put smiles on everyone’s faces as he put on his show for all who stopped to see the act.

The kids zone was wonderful, the music was truly country and the volunteers were just as helpful as could possibly be.

Thank you Paul & Eileen for organizing such a successful community event.  Don’t forget everyone… The Osprey Village Farmer’s Market is every Sunday from now to September 19th… 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Make sure to come out and get your fresh produce, fresh baked goods, flowers, homemade goodies & crafts. Hope to see you there!

Dilly the Clown goes to the Movies

Well here is something Dilly and Mrs. Click had never done before… Natalie from Human Target Films asked us to deliver a message to a cameraman on a different set… They really wanted to get his attention and thought a clown would be the way.

They asked Dilly the Clown to deliver a bouquet of balloons (supplied by the Click & Clown Company) and an envelope with a message in it… the catch… Dilly had to do it silently!!!!!  Dilly’s never been quiet in his life… an extreme extravert… Well, you just have to visit our website photo page to see the result… What a HOOT!

Mrs. Click captured the show with her Nikon and with the photos edited and delivered later the same day, Natalie was very pleased with the whole event.  She even left us with a nice comment for our testimonial page (take a look).

It was a blast doing something different.  Silence is golden and could be repeated.  Thank you Natalie for a great time!

Two Days of Fun in the Sun at the Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival 2010

The rhythm was hopping… the crowd was alive… the colours were bright… the vendors were awesome… the food smelled great… there were a million things to do… old friends and new… and the crowd around Dilly the Clown grew and grew and grew!

Maple Ridge hosted a wonderful party and Mrs. Click took a ton of photos to remember this fabulous event.  Dilly entertained everyone with his smiles, laughter and fun… throw in a couple of hundred balloons, dancing, singing, and of course performing the famous DAYTIME FIREWORKS (assisted by Dilly’s “Clown in Training”).  The Dilly mobile display unit was a big hit, better than an elephant in the centre ring!!!

Where did all these folks come from:  All over the place and they all had FUN… the sun was out and so was the community spirit… We all had a ball and look ahead to next year’s event again!

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation Child Run 2010

June 6th of this year found us bringing smiles, laughter and fun to the thousands of participants at the annual fundraising event held in Vancouver at the Children’s Hospital.  Mrs. Click took the photos while Dilly the Clown entertained kids both young and old.  The show just didn’t stop… and with so many great entertainers and the audience, the place was jumping.

We joined the younger set in the 1km walk and boy did we have fun… with his mobile display unit, Dilly made his way through the walk with lots of new friends.  Sing silly songs, dancing up a storm and making balloon hats… the walk was just like a circus parade… with no elephants.

After the walk we stayed to entertain until the very end.  It made us feel good to know that we helped the foundation raise a huge amount of money for this worthwhile cause… we are honoured to have been invited to entertain and photograph this wonderful event… we are looking forward to next year.

Clowns in Training did a FANTASTIC job at the Pitt Meadows Day Celebrations 2010!

The Click & Clown Company was excited to be a part of this annual event and stepped right up to the occasion.  With Dilly’s new “Mobile Display Unit” and his two CITs (Young Clowns in Training), we set out to WOW the crowd and win first place in the parade.  Our float (as small as it is) was a big hit with all of the audience along the way and we had a ball meeting and waving to all of the spectators.

Our CITs had rehearsed their routine over and over, so when we got to the reviewing stand they put on a show stopping, hilarious performance for the judges.  The judges were extremely pleased and told us so by awarding us first place in our category for the parade.

After the parade we went into Harris Road Park to share in the festivities.  We located ourselves near the children’s playground and entertained kids with smiles, laughter and fun for most of the afternoon.  We sure made a lot of animal balloons.

The weather was great, the crowd was great and we had a great time… We’ll see you all again next year as we celebrate another Pitt Meadows Day!

A “Warehouse” Size Success!

On Sunday, May 30th, the Port Coquitlam Costco Store held a fabulous event to raise funds for the Children’s Miracle Network.  Dilly and Mrs. Click were delighted to be part of such a successful fundraiser.   Our audience was plentiful and tons of fun to entertain.  Mrs. Click enjoyed capturing the many special moments of the day.  Dilly the Clown twisted balloons and added smiles, laughter & fun to everyone who passed or stopped by.   Thank you Costco for giving us the opportunity to participate in such a successful event.  The staff was lots of fun to be around and were extremely helpful.  We would definitely do this show again!

May We Never Forget

As a past member of the Royal Canadian Electrical, Mechanical Engineers (RCEME),  I would like to share with you this email that we received this morning.  The only way that we can honour this tribute is to pass it on and ask that our friends read it and pass it on as well.  Thank you to our Canadian soldiers and their families.

Subject: Petty Officer Blake

Until recently, Joe Curry was a PC riding president in Toronto Centre. A few weeks ago his unit was deployed to Kandahar.  On Wednesday he sent this poignant email concerning the most recent death of a Canadian soldier.  Joe has an incredible gift for capturing and describing an event.

This morning, the most sobering event in my life took place as we said goodbye to Petty Officer Blake on the tarmac of Kandahar Air Field. I did not know him. He arrived here just about a week before I did, as part of the same rotation (roto 9). While we came here prepared to face tragedy, it does not subtract from the sheer sobering reality you face as you stand here holding your salute with a thousand brothers-in-arms as one of our fallen begins his final journey home.

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach the other night as I realized first that the internet was not working, then my cell phone. I went to the trailer filled with small booths, each containing a phone, provided for us to call home. No dial tone. Comms lockdown! We lost someone I realized. (This, as you know, is done until the next-of-kin are notified). As I walked back to my tent I overheard a civilian contractor complaining to his friend that he couldn’t get online to book his vacation which he plans to take in September. They don’t know. In the morning, the maple leaf over Old Canada House flew at half mast. Later in the day (being called upon to assist with the Viewing and Ramp Ceremony) I stood in the mortuary adjacent to the runway where the bodies of Canadian, American and British sons and daughters are lovingly prepared to begin their journey home. In a place where one can seemingly never escape the dust and putrid odour which hangs in the air, this room is cold and sterile. I never want to come here again. A small ante room off the side contains a large table where the flags to cover the transfer cases are meticulously pressed and prepared. Off to the side hang several flags which have been rejected due to small imperfections.

“See here?” Sgt Mullen points to where a small portion of red dye has run over into the white part of the flag (only noticeable upon close inspection). “Would you want that for your child? No one would.” She answers herself. “You can take one if you like, we have to burn them and I don’t like to burn a Canadian flag if I don’t have to.” I decline.

The Military Police then arrived to break the seal on the refrigerator so we could move his body to the Afghan War Memorial for the Viewing. Nestled in the Task Force Kandahar compound, the memorial is a beautiful, peaceful place. Matching white marble walls rise from a base of black marble, which is also used to cap the walls. On these are mounted black marble plaques, each etched with the face of a fallen soldier along with his name and unit. The memorial is shaded by several large drooping trees which resemble willows and add to the serenity of the place. Workers finished polishing the memorial just moments before we placed the flag draped transfer case on it, next to a photograph of PO 2nd Class Blake and his General Campaign Star. I decided not to stay for the viewing – it is a time for those who knew him to grieve together.

I emerged from my tent at 0500 hrs this morning into a thick soup of what can best be described as viscous fog mixed with dust. It is something you may have difficulty imagining. There was a dust storm last night (as we frequently experience) which then mixed with a thick fog. It seemed that the moisture particles bound to the dust particles and kept them afloat. At the end of the ceremony our berets, eyebrows, eyelashes, hair etc. were “frosted” with dust. If one didn’t know better, they would think to see it that we all frozen in place.

This cloud insulated the ramp ceremony, making it almost surreal. No outside sound penetrated. From where I stood at the side of the LAV III from which PO Blake’s body was carried, only the open tail of the Hercules could be seen on the other side of the formed body of Canadian, American, British, Australian, and Slovakian troops – the body of the aircraft vanishing into the cloud. It was quite an insular ceremony. As the boots of a thousand soldiers marched on, I felt privileged to be a part of this national – and international – tribute to a fallen Canadian hero. Yes, there was a swell of emotion as we held the salute to our fallen brother as he made his way feet first onto the aircraft - departing the way he had arrived. I thought of the caution I had received from MCpl Lee before going out onto the tarmac: “whatever you start to feel out there, lock it away. We can’t afford to get emotional here; there will be plenty of time for that when we get home.”

As I type this now I can feel the cold steel of the transfer case, the weight of the handle pressing into my palm. We have more to carry now: the torch of PO Craig Blake. We cannot stop to feel the emotion fully yet because his work here needs to carry on through us who remain.

God rest his soul; and may we never forget.

Sincerely,

Joe

P.S. Sgt. Mullen asked me to take over from her (as she is leaving) responsibility for the Memorial Books which are currently being built. These are large wooden books made from the same wood that holds the plaques on the memorial. When next of kin have come here to visit the memorial they leave behind mementoes. These of course cannot stay on the memorial as they quickly succumb to the elements. These will be put into a proper collection in these books and it will be my responsibility to do so. So far the covers for the books have been made and I will soon undertake to put together the contents. When the memorial is moved to Canada at the end of the war, these books will go into the National War Museum in Ottawa. What a privilege to be part of such a tribute.

Fraser Valley Walk For Kids Help Phone

What an awesome fundraiser!  Despite the rainy, windy and cold weather for a May 2nd, it was great to see so many adults, young people and kids attend and support this wonderful event.  We met new friends and had a really good time entertaining and taking photos.  Dilly was truly in his element making balloons, dancing, singing songs and just having a grand time.  We were honoured to share sponsorship of this event with a number of companies and organizations.   We look forward to next year’s walk and hope to participate in this fundraiser again!  Thank you Eileen for letting us be a part of the FV Walk for Kids Help Phone.