MONTE VISTA — On May 29 at Ski Hi Park in Monte Vista the Shrine Circus is coming to town!

Traditionally the circus has been on Fridays, but this year it will be on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. Tickets cost is $5 for children and $10 for adults. Places to purchase tickets include: 

ALAMOSA: Ace Hardware, Best Little Meat House, City Market, Monterey Café, Rio Grande Savings and Loan, Safeway and Southern Peaks Library. 

CENTER: Center Auto Parts, El Azteca, First Southwest Bank, Gunbarrel Station, I & F Supply, Jones Oil, K&J Thriftway, and Town of Center. 

MONTE VISTA: Chamber of Commerce, Rocky Mountain Plumbing Supplies, Safeway and Top Value Grocery. 

DEL NORTE: at Jack’s Market

SOUTH FORK at Rainbow Grocery

Circus proceeds are used to send San Luis Valley children to Shriner hospitals. For over a year, the club has been working with Monte Vista middle school student Urianna Acosta who was born with a condition called arthrogryposis multiplex congenta (AMC), a stiffening of the bones which affects about 1 in 3,000 individuals.  She has had many surgeries to free her joints. She will return home soon from the Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia after eight months of treatment this go round.  Using a specially designed walker, Acosta is realizing her dream of walking – something many of us take for granted.

There are 22 Shriner Hospital locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico that provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. When a child is accepted as a Shriner patient, there is no charge for the care received. However, if a patient has insurance, it helps to defray hospital costs.

The majority of children from the San Luis Valley either go to the Shriner hospital in Galveston, Texas, for burn treatment or to Salt Lake City, Utah, where bone (orthopaedic) afflictions are treated. Children up to age 18 can apply for admission to a Shriner Hospital.

The vision for Shriner Hospitals is to become the best at transforming children’s lives by providing exceptional healthcare through innovative research, in a patient and family centered environment.

Questions? Call 1-800-237-5055. Or call one of the Shriner Hospital representatives, Ernie Kuney at 1-817-995-1398 or Tom Sanderson at 1-719-580-6200.

Captions: 

Courtesy photos Tigers obey their trainer at the circus last year./Courtesy photos

Urianna Acosta shared her story at last year’s circus.

For years, the Shriners have driven “Charlie” in regional parades to draw attention to Shriners.  Tickets purchased for the Shrine Circus help Valley Shriners to keep sending Valley children to Shriner hospitals.