Schools

Cass 63 Foundation Bringing Circus to Town

The Kelly Miller Circus will perform at Carmelite Carefree Village for two shows Tuesday.

Who hasn’t dreamed of running off to join the circus?

Darien kids and parents will get to live out a little bit of that fantasy when the Kelly Miller Circus comes to town Tuesday for two shows.

The circus serves two purposes: 1. It’s a fundraiser for the Cass 63 Foundation for Educational Excellence. 2. It’s just plain fun, said foundation Chairwoman Mary Sullivan.

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“It’s captivating,” she said. “People don’t want to leave their seats.”

The Kelly Miller Circus has performed every other year for the past 10 years as one of the foundation’s two main annual fundraising events, Sullivan said. (The other is the .)

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This year’s 90-minute show will feature trapeze and acrobatic acts, cyclists whirling their way inside a big ball, and animal performances featuring elephants, ponies and tigers.

At 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, students from will be bused to the circus’ site in a field at to watch as the elephants raise the tent for the one-ring show.

“Elephants literally help pull the poles up, and up comes the big top,” Sullivan said.

Prior to both the 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. shows, kids will have a chance to ride those elephants, as well as camels and ponies.

Recently the Kelly Miller Circus faced some scrutiny regarding its animal care when it set up shop in Elmhurst on Sept. 9, the .

Delcianna Winders, director of captive animal law enforcement for PETA told Elmhurst Patch that three tigers escaped from their enclosures in August, two of which bit a horse. The USDA cited the circus for the escape, she said.

Kelly Miller Circus general manager Jim Royal told Elmhurst Patch that the only incident the USDA has reported since 2007 regarded a clown whose pet poodle, also a circus performer, wasn’t properly registered.

“We’re not hidden in an arena,” he told Elmhurst Patch. “We’re in the open and the public has access to our areas. The various groups associate their names and reputations with us and we have to be at our best at all times to be successful.”

Sullivan said no one from PETA has contacted her about the circus this year. Each of the five times the Kelly Miller Circus has performed for District 63 she said she’s been impressed with their professionalism.

“In past years we did have an individual voice a concern, and we researched how the animals were treated and felt positive about moving forward with the event,” she said.

Last time the foundation held the circus fundraiser, it earned a record $10,000 for district initiatives such as smart boards in the classrooms and the new community garden under construction at Concord.

Sullivan said the foundation has received tremendous support from the community in all of its fundraising initiatives.

The support “is really what makes Darien what it is,” she said.

Tickets are $12 in advance and may be purchased through the foundation website or the office. Tickets also may be purchased at the door for $15.


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