to give up months of Saturdays to prepare for the parade. “It’s almost like a family getting together,” he said. “We do a little cookout every Saturday and paint the floats and staple on all the colors and everything that glitters and then staple in the lights and make sure the generator is where it’s supposed to be.” Ricketts takes pride knowing he, his volunteers and APS are all giving back. An economic driver, the parade supports small businesses along the parade route. But the benefits go beyond that. “We’re in what we call the memory business and we create memories for children,” he said. Years ago, Ricketts noted that people could see and hear the parade, but it wasn’t hitting all of the senses. So they started spraying pine, candy cane or vanilla scent down the centerline of the parade route. “It’s to hit all the senses we can,” Ricketts said, “and have people, just for a moment, lose themselves in what’s going on. That’s the payoff to me.” Each year, generations of families kick off the holidays with the Electric Light Parade, most not giving much thought to the months of preparation that go into it. But that suits Ricketts fine. “They don’t need to understand how much work we put into it. They don’t know what a struggle it is to put all this stuff together and be on time and get down the street and make sure everything stays lit the entire time,” he said. “They just want to see something cool, and that’s what we do. It’s magic.” The kind of magic Terry Ricketts goes on to make all through the year. Whether he’s marching in one of the dozens of parades the Clown Troupe takes part in around the state or teaching fire safety as his alter ego, Benjamin FranKlown, Ricketts is grateful. “For the past 25 years, I’ve played,” he said. “I dress up, wear makeup, make people laugh and have a job where I go in the community and do special events and projects. How could it be any better than that?” OFFICE DOORS CONTINUED 16 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | DECEMBER 2018 Children’s Cancer Network is a Qualified Charitable Organization for the AZ Tax Credit. Please visit our website for more information. Thank you! CHILDREN’S CANCER NETWORK’S INSPIRATIONS 2019 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10 10:30 – 2:30 P.M. CAMELBACK INN $85/person $850 per table of 10 guests $1500 for Runway Tables PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED childrenscancernetwork.org/calendar

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