The Becker Beyond the Yellow Ribbon organization hosted a program honoring the children of serving military members last Saturday morning at the Becker Community Center. The activities included food, treats, a visit from a pair of clowns who made some amazing balloon animals, a magician and a variety of games to help celebrate and honor military kids and their families from around the area.
Also on hand were a number of area veterans, members of the Becker American Legion Post 193 and Kathy Smith from the Corey’s Adventures Foundation in Big Lake.
The group works with military veterans who are experiencing psychological problems after returning from deployment in the conflict areas in the Middle East. The organization is named in honor of Smith’s son, Corey, who took his own life in 2012 after a struggle with PTSD.
Magician Ken Gates is a Becker resident and a veteran of the Viet Nam conflict. He is a big believer in the power of imagination and the joy of a successful illusion, especially for young audiences, saying that, “while there is no “magic,” there are miracles in the world.” Gates is totally self-taught, he said, having learned his craft by reading books he found in the local library and practicing until he was able to perform some of the illusions he discovered there.
Also on hand, to the delight of the children, were three characters from the Disney® movie “Frozen,” Elsa, the Snow Queen (Lilly Hayworth, Elk River), Anna, her sister (Emma Taylor, Big Lake) and the snowman Olaf (Trent Ramert, Big Lake). The three friends also entertain at parties and fund raisers around the area through their business which they have named “Perfectly Princess,” Hayworth said.
Some amazingly complex balloon sculptures were provided by the duo of “Odie and Dotz,” who are members of Clown Around of Maple Lake, an organization that provides entertainment for “kids of all ages,” Dotz said, visiting schools, nursing homes and special events around the area.
And in the kitchen were volunteers Cheryl Hegreberg and her daughter Destiny Friedrichs, along with Mayor Lefty Kleis and others who took part in the program.
Also among the many events popular with the kids was a visit from the “big rigs” from the Becker Fire Department. The big “hook-and-ladder” truck had the long boom deployed high in the sky in the BCC parking lot, and firemen gave tours of the insides of the trucks.
