Last month we had our Junior Joey Photo Contest and it was a BIG SUCCESS! We were introduced to 23 amazing little clowns with their cute and marvelous costumes! That’s not all! We were also introduced to the things that they do which makes them all stand out.
These little clown angels range from 6-15 years old and they’re already sharing their smiles to others through the Art of Clowning. In their tender ages, they are indeed making a big difference.
Because of this contest, we feel that, we all, not just the participants, are WINNERS. We are able to prove that the Art of Clowning is far from dying. Instead, it’s very much alive because of the junior joeys who carry on the tradition! But, like any other contests, we needed to choose winners in the end.
Let’s meet our winners, shall we?
Chewie the Clown
Zachery Haley aka Chewie, our Voters’ Pick winner, has been around clowns since he was 3 years old when his dad, Jeff aka Choo~Choo became a Shrine Clown way back 2012. But it wasn’t until he met one clown that sparked his clowning spirit!
Chewie and his dad, Choo~Choo
Chewie began clowning when he met ChrisCantin aka Tin Can. Tin Can, who was a friend of Choo~Choo, helped him get started.
Chewie’s first clown appearance was in April 2015 in the Arabia Shrine Circus. He was invited to dress up as a clown, perform in skits and sign autographs. Since then, he attended the El Karubah Shrine Circus, and visited the Shriner’s Hospital for Children – Galveston to bring joy to patients, and participated in a hospital celebration parade.
Chewie at a circus with his famous cookies!
Chewie’s character is a happy hobo clown. On the other hand, Zachery is a 3rd grade student who always make the honor or banner roll. We think with his father by his side, Chewie will be able to hone his clowning skills and be able to bring joy to a lot of people as he grows from a Junior Joey to a Clown!
Chewie and his clown friend Photobomb at a circus
Fred the Clown
You might think that Junior Joeys get their inspiration from their parents, grandparents, and relatives. But this is not always the case. Our Judge’s Pick winner, Fred, has no clown relatives to get his inspiration from. Now, you might be wondering what or who sparked his clowning spirit. Well, the answer is not that surprising as you might think…
Fred doing his makeup
Frederick Buford aka Fred has been clowning since he was 3 and was inspired by his friend DJ Weiss and the Ringling Bros. Clown Alley. Those are indeed great inspirations!
Little Fred with his clown costume
Fred was born in Manhattan, NY. But when he was 3, his family moved to Lyon, France where he learned the French culture. There he visited Circus Mendrano where he was fascinated by clowns and how funny they were. That’s when he found his love for clowns!
When he was 2nd grade, his family went back to NY where he entered the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute and learned to become an actor. He then became part of several broadway shows and movies. In 2015, he wanted to look like a professional clown. That’s when the Ringling Bros come in.
“I want to be a clown with the Greatest Show on Earth!”
Wanting to know how to be a professional clown, he search “How to be a Clown” in YouTube. That’s where he found the Ringling Bros’ How to be a Clown video. He watched it over and over again. Then, he wondered who are the Ringling Bros? The answer he found made his clowning spirit glowed even brighter. From then on, he wanted to be a part of the Greatest Show on Earth. There’s no doubt, with Fred’s skills and passion, he’ll one day be one of the most famous clowns in the Ringling Bros!
Looking into the Future
A lot of people is saying that clowning is a dying art. With all the technological advances that our generation has accomplished, we can say that there’s a slight truth in this statement. With smartphones, computers, virtual reality to keep us occupied, people can easily overlook the simplest form of entertainment such as clowning.
But the thing is, clowning is not a dying art, never was and never will. That’s because there are our junior joeys we can depend on. These little clowns are the future, our future. They will be the ones who will carry the banners of hundreds of years of clowning culture and history.
“To the Junior Joeys all over the world…
Thank you for continuing the legacy and art of clowning! May you be able to bring joy and smiles to people in the many years to come!
Yours Truly,
The ClownAntics Family”