THE BALLOON MAN

Circus coming to Bedminster in first aid squad fund-raiser
from: newjerseyhills.com
Monday, June 4, 2012

BEDMINSTER TWP. - A real circus Big Top with tigers, elephants, camels, clowns, acrobats and more is coming to town in just over a week.
In a novel fund-raiser for the Far Hills-Bedminster First Aid Squad, the Kelly Miller Circus will perform two shows on Sunday, June 17, at River Road Park at Route 202-206 and River Road.
Tickets, which are on sale locally, are $10 for adults and $6 for children if bought in advance, and $15 for adults and $7 for children on the day of the event.
“We have not done anything like this before,” said Patty Segal, vice president of the squad. “People usually meet us through illness or injury, and we wanted to bring in a fun family event where people could see us in a different way.
“It is so affordable,” she added. “It’s hard to do anything with the family at these prices anymore. It’s a fun day and it’s not going to hit you in the wallet.”
The Kelly Miller Circus, based in Oklahoma, was founded in 1938, according to its web site. The show travels on a fleet of 25 vehicles and its Big Top has a seating capacity of 1,500 seats.
The show features, among other things, an exotic display of animals, ponies, performing dogs, jugglers, trapeze performers, theatrical lighting and circus music, the web site said.
On the morning of the event, at 9 a.m., the circus will invite the public for a free viewing of its efforts to raise the Big Top with the help of its elephants.
The shows will follow at 2 and 5 p.m.
Segal said the squad happened to be looking for a different type of fund-raising event when it was contacted by the circus. “We thought it was a pretty good match.”
The squad kicked off its promotion on Friday, June 1, when two circus clowns distributed donated tickets to autistic children at the Somerset Hills Learning Center on Burnt Mills Road. The clowns also performed at local pre-schools and the Clarence Dillon Public Library.
“It’s a pretty amazing event,” Segal said. “We know that people who have heard about it are excited.”