I won’t grow up!

Posted 8/21/12

Well, it finally happened. I discovered a way to combine fundraising, imagination, community involvement and my love of the arts, while prancing around like a fool for the amusement of others. Yep, …

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I won’t grow up!

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Well, it finally happened. I discovered a way to combine fundraising, imagination, community involvement and my love of the arts, while prancing around like a fool for the amusement of others. Yep, it’s time once again for the eighth annual Boys and Girls Club Celebrity Dinner and Tip Challenge! Every year the organization (www.bgcorange.org) recruits local businesses and community and civic leaders to become “Celebrity Servers” and entertain hundreds while raising much-needed dollars for the clubs in Sullivan County. This year’s theme is “Storybook Characters on the Boardwalk,” and the staff at The River Reporter will be tugging at your heart strings (and wallets) as the characters from Peter Pan. Although more than one co-worker suggested that I’d make a good Tinker Bell (hmmm), I’m partial to Peter, so I’ll be donning tights on Friday, March 4 and joining Captain Hook, Wendy, Smee, Tiger Lily, assorted lost boys and pirates (www.nacl.org) and Dharma the Wonder Dog in Never Never Land, aka Callicoon (www.villaroma.com).

Sure, there will be plenty of other teams, representing stories like Little Red Riding Hood, The Wizard of Oz, Snow White and many others, but the evening is all about the “challenge,” and TRR is prepared to give the others a run for their money, with a few tricks (and a LOT of fairy dust) up our sleeves, in order to receive your tax-deductible tips. Our choice was clear, once I shared with folks at the office that my therapist recommended it, based on the fact that I’ve been diagnosed with “Peter Pan Syndrome.” Yeah, it’s a thing. The term was coined by pop psychology author Dan Kiley in his book “Peter Pan Syndrome: Men Who Have Never Grown Up” in which he illustrates candidates of the “illness” who may have “excessive outbursts of emotion” (check), have “difficulty relaxing” (check), are “blunt” (who me?) and a host of other traits including, but not limited to, “a tendency to be absorbed with imaginative comfort in their own minds, which makes them unable to grow into maturity.” Check.

To get into character, I swung by my local farmers’ market (www.visitcallicoon.com) to pick up supplies and check out a puppet show, (Ramona Jan Marionettes) in order to observe real children who have yet to grow up. Jan’s imagination knows no bounds (IMHO) and the kids were entranced while I stood in the back, singing softly to my dog. “I won’t grow up, I don’t want to wear a tie… and a serious expression, in the middle of July.” As Dharma licked my inner-child’s wounds, I continued. “And if it means I must prepare to shoulder burdens with a worried air, I’ll never grow up, never grow up—not me.”

As usual, the market was buzzing with activity and I had an opportunity to sell raffle tickets for the upcoming event (call Eileen at 845/252-7414, ext. 35) which local businesses have donated fantastic prizes for, and will also be available in Never Land that evening. As always, stopping by the market allows me a few hours to connect with the community and schmooze with friends, so it was a golden opportunity to crow about the Celebrity Dinner, while raising awareness for the amazing benefits that the dinner and tip challenge helps to support in our local Boys and Girls Clubs.

While “Peter Pan syndrome” may be a thing, it has yet to be acknowledged by the American Psychiatric Association as a mental disorder, so at present, it’s only all of you who think I’m certifiably crazy. Spending time with the kids was just the shot in the arm that I needed to inspire me to get out there and ask for your donations, and there are a few tickets still available for this very special event. Please visit https://give.bgcorange.org/e/Pan or call 845/342-8833 (mention Team Peter Pan) and consider making a donation to our 2016 tip challenge, in order to help our kids fly into the future. We don’t want to see any lost boys (or girls) out there. Since “Neverland will always be the home of youth and joy and liberty, I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up, not me.”

Tickets for this outrageously fun event are only $75 (tax deductible) and include social hour with hors d’oeuvres, a dinner that will include a seafood station and “bottomless” beer, wine and soft drinks. Don’t want me to blow the fairy dust on you? Show me the money!

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