THE BALLOON MAN

Small talk with Bill Petrocy


 

By Holly Fournier 
The Detroit News
March 19, 2012
Bill Petrocy of St. Clair Shores has been involved in Detroit's Shrine Circus for more than half its 102-year history.


The Shrine Circus began in Detroit in 1906 as a fundraiser for the masonic Shrine organization. Today, around 75 annual circuses operate throughout the United States and Canada. All the money raised benefits the Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 pediatric hospitals across North America.


This year's circus will be March 30 to April 1 and April 6-8 at the Hazel Park Raceway.
As a boy in the '40s and '50s, Petrocy watched his father volunteer at the original Detroit circus. At 21, he joined the Shriners organization and dove into volunteer work himself, uncapping bottle tops at the circus' pop stand. Now, he is preparing for his last year in the circus's top job: director.
What is the history of the Shrine Circus in Detroit?
"It started behind what is now the City County Building on Larned. There's a plaque there that commemorates it. In 1922, we moved to the State Fair Coliseum. We're at the Hazel Park (Raceway) now. We're not only the first Shrine Circus; we're the largest. (That's measured) by the amount of attendance and revenue."
What is your earliest memory of the Shrine Circus?
"I was probably 9 or 10 years old. My father worked (the circus), and they stuck me in the stands … at the end of the performance "The Star Spangled Banner" played, fireworks went off and the largest American flag I had ever seen unfurled. Everyone was just hysterical, everyone was crying. It might have been '45 and (World War II) was over."
What was your favorite act?
"The most intriguing thing is the (Flying) Wallendas when they do a seven-man pyramid. Fifty years ago, they fell here in Detroit, (but) in '99 we brought them back. Tino Wallenda and his sister and his nieces and nephews put on the seven-man pyramid again. We had every news organization in the U.S. there. It's great acts like that that we like to bring in."
In 1991, your first year as director, the circus made more money than ever. To what do you attribute that?
"I wanted a quality product when it came to hot dogs, popcorn and pop. I'd run a hot dog contest in the summertime and let kids choose which hot dogs were the best. (A customer) might not mind paying an extra dollar for the product, and I'm not seeing him throw it in the trash. Our prices are right so that people can come in and see good, clean family entertainment."
The 2012 Detroit Shrine Circus is coming up. How can readers get more information?
"They can go to detroitshrinecircus.com."