EVENT AT LAKES PARK BENEFITS PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
By Michael Braun
Published January 22, 2012, in the news-press.com
http://www.news-press.com/article/20120122/ENT/301220066/1001/BUSINESS/Families-explore-medieval-faire-south-Fort-Myers?odyssey=nav|head
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA—Children in Lee County will reap benefits from the work of wenches, swordsmen, blacksmiths, knights, fair maidens and a whole slew of other medieval characters from the past two weekends.
The Riverdale Kiwanis Medieval Faire concluded its 16th annual gathering at Lakes Regional Park on Sunday with the proceeds of the two-weekend, four-day affair going to assist children in Lee County.
Terry Shore, chairman of the event, said crowd estimates pegged visitors at about 18,000 and the expected profit from the event should come to about $170,000, with about half of that going to Kiwanis programs to assist children.
“The only people who get paid are the performers,” Shore said. “We have 16 members in the club and they all participate in the festival.” In addition he said there are about 140 volunteers who lend a hand including high school students from Fort Myers, Lehigh, Dunbar and Cape Coral.
“We try to offer a real family affair,” he said. “We want them to come out and have a good time and not have to pay an arm and a leg.”
The show takes the club about 10 months to organize, Shore said, adding that since the club is small and the event important, many of the acts featured don’t ask for full price for their talents.
“A lot of the entertainers give us a discount because of the charity aspect,” he said.
Those entertainers come from all over the United States, said Sandy Wheeler, another Kiwanis club member.
The performers dress in period costume, mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries, with a smattering of other eras.
The 21 acts performing ranged from the Washing Well Wenches, a pair of exuberant lasses who combine ribald humor with audience participation, to the New Riders of the Golden Age who present jousting contests including real horses.
Ken Silkie, part of the DaVinci Brothers act, said he loves the give and take with the audience and bills himself as the “dumb” DaVinci. He performs two-act parody operas.
“We have Go Figaro, Making Meatballs — The Opera, Bubba of Seville and Don Chipotle —Man of La Nacho,” Silkie said.
Shore was gratified by the weather this weekend. “We had a fairly decent last weekend, despite the cold,” he said. “But this weekend was fantastic.”
Some of the programs that will benefit include Shots for Tots, school scholarships and the School Closet Program.
Shore said the Closet program provides supplies, books and clothing for the less fortunate. “We have some fourth and fifth graders that can’t even afford socks and underwear,” he said. “That isn’t right.”
See also: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2012/jan/18/riverdale-kiwanis-medieval-faire-lakes-regional/