Under the big top
By Danielle Abbott
Have you ever attended the circus? If so, when? Were you a child, staring up at the massive and powerful elephants as the graceful trapeze artists swung from the rafters? Or were you an adult that went to see the bright vibrant colors, enjoy the wonderful food or simply remind yourself of childhood and a culture so distant that we have to watch their talents under a huge tent? Maybe you have never attended the circus, but it is almost guaranteed that you have seen pictures and heard miraculous stories. This year, the Washburn Dollars for Scholars organization is helping to make the dream of a circus a reality for the entire community. In their annual dinner and dance banquet, the event will distance itself from last year’s visit to Egypt, as the Memorial Building is transformed into a vintage circus theme. Every year an estimated 250 guests make their way to the Memorial Building for this massive event, and though guests will only get to enjoy this circus for one night, volunteers have been hard at work for months, insuring that the circus theme goes off without a hitch. This will be the 13th year for the dinner dance, and chairperson Donna Gunderson said, "Every year is better than the last." Gunderson joined the Dollars for Scholars organization in 1994, when her daughter received a scholarship. This will be her first year as chairperson, and she is assisted by Judy Beaudry who will coordinate the food portion of the event.
