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        Richard was the convention chair for anoth-    invited the hotel employees to stay and be our guests
        er WCA convention outside of the United States, the     at the party as well. As a result, the hotel provided us
        2013 convention held in Kuching, Malaysia, on the is-   with a sheet cake for the party and did not charge us
        land of Borneo. There were 159 participants from 12     for using the theater one day. We did have to pay for
        nations.                                                our other use of that facility.

          Working with the Borneo Tourism Bureau, Richard          The Borneo Tourism Bureau selected the WCA con-
        planned a humanitarian day during the convention.       vention as the best one to be held on the island during
        There were no classes or competitions on that day. In   2013.
        the  morning  clowns visited  four  hospitals,  followed   Two of Richard's passions came together in 1987. He
        by visits to an orphanage, a dyslexia center, a care    believed in providing recognition to others and in the
        facility for handicapped adults, a care and treatment   importance of the history of our art. He was invited to
        facility for the mentally handicapped, a children's day   a meeting by the Delavan, WI economic development
        care center, and two appearances at local shopping            director. Delavan had played an important role
        malls. Attendees who did not wish to par-                            in circus history. The city was interesting
        ticipate in a clown related event had                                    in developing a tourist attraction con-
        the option to take part in the lo-                                          nected to circus history. Creating
        cal Heart--�to--�Heart program                                                a Clown Hall of Fame had been
        for  the  care  and  rehabili-                                                  suggested. As a result of that
        tation of orangutans. The                                                        meeting, the International
        day concluded with a two-                                                         Clown  Hall  of Fame  was
        hour  International  Hu-                                                          founded. The World Clown
        manitarian Clown Show.                                                             Association became one of
        Those who appeared in                                                              four ICHOF affiliated orga-
        the show were RONE and                                                            nizations. The WCA  paid
        Gigi, Arthur Pedlar, Auro-                                                        annual dues to support the
        ra  Krause,  Bruce  Johnson,                                                     ICHOF financially. In return,
        K (Kosuke Omune), Sam Tee,                                                      a representative  of the WCA
        Randy & Ben Christensen, Vic-                                                 served on the ICHOF Board of
        tor Low, Martin Dsausa, and Top-                                            Directors,  the organization could
        po and GaKo. Richard produced the                                        nominate inductees, and  there was
        show and asked me to direct it.                                     a booth in the ICHOF Museum promoting
          Richard always wanted to thank the hotel em-               the WCA. The other three affiliated organizations
        ployees for supporting any event in which he was        were Clowns  of America, International, the  Interna-
        participating. Sometimes during Clown Camp on the       tional Shrine Clown Association,  and Clown Camp.
        Road programs, Richard would invite me to join him      Richard served for many years on the ICHOF Board of
        in performing a show for the employees and their        Directors  as the Clown Camp representative.  In that
        families. Nobody else participating in the CCOTR pro-   role he made significant contributions to the establish-
        gram knew about those shows. They were held in a        ment of the ICHOF. Other WCA members represented
        meeting room during a break in the schedule. During     our organization on the ICHOF Board.
        the WCA convention in Borneo, Richard invited the          Wishing  to  create  a  new  affiliated  organization
        hotel employees and their families to be our guests     benefit, the International Clown Hall of Fame decid-
        during the show by RONE and Gigi, the convention        ed to sponsor the Clown of the Year Award in 1991. I
        headliners. A party celebrating the 30th Anniversary    know that as a board member, Richard played a role
        of the WCA was scheduled for after the show. Richard    in creating the award. Each organization would se-




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