Circus Delights, Benefits NIH Community

Clowns with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus visited several young patients at the Clinical Center during the day on Mar. 30. That evening, kids of all ages were treated to the annual Children’s Premiere Night put on by the circus at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

“Thanks to those who purchased tickets to the show, NIH’s Recreation & Welfare Association was able to treat more than 1,750 children and families from the NIH Charities and local non-profits to a night of fun,” said David Browne of the NIH R&W Association.

It was the 19th year in a row that the R&W participated in the event, which benefits NIH Charities. Over the years, more than 28,000 local children have been treated to the food, fun and entertainment of the circus experience.

This year for the first time, NIH R&W worked with the employee association of LexisNexis Special Service Department and was able to include more than 130 at-risk youth invited by the Metropolitan Police Department, according to Randy Schools, longtime R&W CEO and coordinator of the event who now volunteers with the association. “R&W and LexisNexis treated not only NIH patients and those of Special Love, but were also able to treat youth from D.C.—most of whom had never been to the circus before,” he said. “We are looking forward to 2017 for the 20th anniversary of the event.”