It’s for the kids.

When people attend the Northwest Shrine Circus in the State Fair Center’s All Seasons Arena in Minot next week, they’ll be helping the Minot Shrine Club support kids who need medical treatment at the Shriners Hospitals for Children-Twin Cities.

“We have 72 kids right now in our territory that go there. They’re the active ones right now,” said Ken Gillespie, Minot Shrine Club clown coordinator and advertising chairman for the circus. There are 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children in North America; children from this area go to the hospital in Minneapolis.

The Minot Shrine Club sponsors the circus and other events to take care of the transportation and other needs of the children going to the hospital. “It’s (circus) part of the fundraisers for the kids,” Gillespie said.

The club also holds a candy bar sale and purchasing winners receive a bike. “When we give away the bicycles (at the circus), that mostly goes to the Transportation Fund,” he said. This year, 63 bicycles will be given away at the circus. Hess Corp.’s Minot office are the sponsors this year as it has been for the past three years. Seven Hess representatives per circus performance will be presenting the bicycles next week, Gillespie said.

The Minot Shrine Club’s area extends west and east from Stanley to Rugby and south and north from Highway 200 in the Lake Sakakawea area to the Canadian Territory. “That’s our territory,” Gillespie said.

A Shrine club of Kem Temple, the Minot Shrine Club has about 250 members from Minot and surrounding communities. There’s also units within the Minot club a motorcycle unit, clowns unit and the calliope unit. A clown usually plays the calliope.

The Minot Shrine Club also helps the Williston group with its circus. “And they help us,” Gillespie said.

The circus isn’t the only event for the Minot Shrine Club to help the children who go to the Shriners’ hospital and their families.

“We have Christmas parties and picnics for children and their parents who we send to the hospital, and we bring in Santa Claus. We invite past hospital children too. We don’t want to forget them,” Gillespie said. “We’re always prepared for a big crowd.

The Minot club takes part in the annual North Dakota State Fair Parade in Minot and also supports area parades.

The clown unit also raises money for the Red Sneaker Fund, a fund to help burn centers.

What’s important to Gillespie about all this?

“The hospital kids, of course,” he said. “Being a clown at the circus is my favorite thing.” Gillespie is well-known in the area as “Dizzy the Clown.”

For those who plan to attend the circus Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, remember you will also be helping the Minot Shrine Club who, in turn, help kids who need medical care at the Shriners Hospital for Children in the Twin Cities.