Shriners Circus And Aleppo Clowns Return To Wilmington After 2-Year Hiatus
WILMINGTON (CBS) – After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, the Shriners Circus was back up and running over the weekend and the Aleppo Clowns continued their solid work at the Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington.
"We are really charity clowns and… all the money that we (raise) goes towards the sneaker fund which is for burns research," Joko, the Boss Clown, told WBZ-TV. "Having fun with a purpose is what we like to say and the purpose is to support the kids and support the hospitals."
For some, the Shriners are very personal.
"Back in 1992, my youngest daughter got burned by a cup of coffee. She went in to Shriners after many visits to her local doctor," Sparkle, an Aleppo Clown, told WBZ.
Now there's a lot of joking around with this group and their fun is contagious. But ultimately the first goal is healing.
"For what the Shriners do for the kids, whether it's the burn hospital here in Boston or the orthopedics hospital that we have in Springfield and other parts of the country, it's just tremendous," said Aleppo Clown Zeke.
"Our main objective is taking care of the children and making them laugh," said Sparkle. "Through all that everyone has gone through, this is a good time to come to the circus."
