Today's Hero Blog

Everybody loves a clown. With their magic tricks and loony antics, they awaken the child in all of us, no matter how old we are. And our favorite clown is Flakey the RV Clown.

We first met Flakey, aka Henry Gartner, at an RV rally a few years ago, and we have been huge fans ever since. Crossing paths with him at RV events around the country has not only entertained us, but allowed us to get to know the man behind the greasepaint, a gentle and loving person who, if anything, is even more precious than the character he plays.

Henry first donned a clown outfit and became Flakey the Magic Clown while he was still employed by Rockwell International in Newark, Ohio.

With his deep love of children, Flakey began entertaining at local hospitals, and soon a local store sponsored him to perform for their customers on the weekends. Before long he was appearing at birthday parties, company picnics, and grand openings throughout the Midwest region. As he became more in demand, he began traveling to events and festivals as far away as Nebraska.

While he was still working, Henry’s clown activities were limited to evenings, weekends, and holidays. Playing a clown was never about money for Henry, but for the love of performing, especially for kids. Always concerned for those less fortunate than himself, during his busy Christmas season, all of the money he earned from his events was used to purchase presents for needy families.

After retiring, Henry began traveling to RV rallies, where Flakey became a popular character to young and old RVers alike. Tooling around RV rallies in his familiar electric cart, Flakey makes balloon animals, plays corny tricks that never get old no matter how many times you see them, performs magic shows, and teaches children about the dangers of drug abuse. You never know what to expect from Flakey, but you can bet it will always make you chuckle.

One minute he is answering a cell phone that bursts into flames when he opens it, quipping as he offers you the phone “That must be your ex-wife calling.” The next he is showing you a picture of his pride and joy, which are, obviously, a can of Pride furniture polish along with a bottle of Joy dishwashing detergent. Flakey’s rabbits, who ride on his cart with him and love to “play dead” are always a big hit with everyone.

Henry believes in miracles. Working in hospitals with sick children, he has seen them happen time after time. Clowns just seem to precipitate them.

Years ago, Flakey met a young girl who was born with a severe jaw deformity. By age thirteen, she was giving up on life. It was difficult for her to eat or sleep, and the neighborhood children teased her in that cruel way that children sometimes will. Her doctors wanted to attempt a rare surgery to correct the problem, but the girl’s weakened conditioned had worsened to the point that she first needed to gain weight to survive the procedure.

The girl’s family brought her to one of Flakey’s shows, and someone told him about her medical problems. He gave her a large T-shirt and told the girl that when she grew into it, he was going do a special private party just for her. Inspired, the child forced herself to eat, gained weight, and had the surgery she needed. Flakey held up his end of the bargain, doing a special party for her. Now, when he returns to Ohio, he performs at the birthday parties of her children!

Another miracle child was a five year old girl Flakey met at an RV rally. Wearing a scarf on her head, the result of hair loss following chemo treatments, the girl fell in love with Flakey’s rabbits, and he asked her to be his special assistant during his performance. After the rally, the girl’s grandmother telephoned to say that before she could have a bone marrow transplant, the child’s body went into complete failure. The grandmother asked for prayers for the girl’s recovery. The many prayers of family and friends prevailed, and she now is on the road to good health!

One of the most touching experiences Flakey has had was with a young girl he met while performing at a hospital. He gave her a dime, and she remarked that the date on the coin was the year she was born. He told her it was her lucky coin, and to always save it. Years later, while dining at a restaurant, a young woman came to his table, opened her wallet, and unwrapped her “lucky dime.” She told Flakey that her road had not always been smooth. Ill as a child, she later overdosed on drugs as a teenager, and now she and her family were out celebrating her anniversary of being clean and sober. And through all of her trials and tribulations, she had always hung onto the precious lucky dime a clown had given to a sick little girl so many years before.

Henry is most proud of those lives he has touched. He realizes that he cannot change the world, but perhaps, by putting a smile on someone’s face, he can make it a better place for all of us to live.   

Submitted by Nick Russell  

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