l to r: Bob Quinn, Kami Hillis, Rhonda Works, Carla Courtnage, Amber Terry, Jodi Thornton, Demra Brown, Sheri Moore, and Shon Tester
I have enjoyed getting to know Shon Tester. I knew him as a child growing up here, but it is a wonderful experience to visit with him now whenever he sits down and visits. He always has something creative happening around him. His latest, of course, was Pirate of the Prairie, Rotary's fundraisers. If you went to the event, you saw the pirate ship he made himself, which covered the south wall of the gym. The Junior class helped decorate, but e said of Amia Edwards. "She really ponied up. She is always communicating. The amount of "OK" she said was wonderful."
Shon said, "I went to the banquet for the first time last year and knew I could help."
He built a ¼ scale to show Rotary what he wanted to do. "The pirate ship took 1,800 square feet of cardboard. Four layers of cardboard are glued together. I get it for those of you who work with cardboard; your hands totally dry out."
Shon started in his shop, and then the large pieces became a reality. So Big Sandy Organics donated their space. He told me he is impressed with their "Work ethic and their community ethic! I am so impressed."
It isn't the only show he has written and been a part of, but "This one is one of the most casual shows." He told me he was "looking forward to working with Cami Hillis again. I would love to work with Rotary again. They do incredible work. Honestly, and this is the truth, it is one of the world's most prestigious and notable clubs. The good that they do is true! Shon told me he appreciates the Rotary board. I'm kind of a pill. And they told me to knock it off. This is Big Sandy."
Shon realized that working on Pirate of the Prairie was a bucket list check-off for him. So working on the banquet was "for a personal reason too. When I was a young kid, I would close my eyes and see the world where I wanted to be. I had to chase that. I always wanted to do a show in my hometown." He is a creative soul. He is living out a dream he had as a child. "You have to chase the dream. It has been incredible to do this in my hometown."
