Circus incoming

Every year the Lakehead Shrine Club sends six to 10 children to out-of-town hospitals for treatments of unique injuries of physical limitations.

Their primary fundraiser to cover those costs is the Shrine Circus, which is coming to Thunder Bay for four performances May 13 and 14.

Hoping to raise at least $20,000 this year, Lakehead Shrine Club president Craig Wolverton said the money helps Thunder Bay kids get the treatments they need in one of the 22 Shriner hospitals throughout North America.

“We treat kids at no cost to the patient or the family,” Wolverton said, adding they specifically help children that need orthopedic or burn treatments.

This year the Fort William Gardens is once again the host of the 56th annual Shrine Circus and Wolverton said the show will be packed with the usual clowns, magicians and cotton candy.

“We have 13 brand new acts this year and there are some very unique acts,” he said. “The featured act this year is a death defying one. There will be three motorcyclists riding around at breakneck speeds, so that should be a showstopper.”

The show will also feature a horse act where the rider will perform back flips from one horse to another and Wolverton said each show will kick off with a grand parade with clowns and a pipe and drum band.

Friday’s performances are scheduled for 4 and 8 p.m.; Saturdays are set for 2 and 6 p.m. Tickets are available for $13 in advance at the Gardens, Intercity Shopping Centre, area variety stores, Kim’s Custom Engraving and all Safeway locations. They are $15 each at the door.

A first this year, tickets are also being sold online at www.lakeheadshrineclub.ca.

“We’re looking forward to the (online) results,” Wolverton said. “They’ve been available for about two to three weeks and we’re starting to see the numbers build.”