| Dear friends,
Everyone at Circus Smirkus is busily preparing for the opening of our Smirkus Camp and Big Top Tour seasons in June. However, like many of you, we are also keeping a close eye on the news around COVID-19. At this point, and based on the information currently available, we plan for our 2020 season to run as scheduled.
We realize that it takes a certain amount of optimism and the can-do spirit of the circus to think that way as the uncertainty of the world swirls around us. We will continue to closely monitor all developments in this rapidly changing situation, and will update you if information changes.
We are basing our optimism in part on the fact that for more than 30 years we have placed the highest priority on the welfare of our campers and troupers, and have taken great care to develop and maintain safe and healthy practices for mind and body. Our Smirkus Camp and Big Top Tour rehearsal facilities, which are in a fairly remote location and largely unoccupied for eight months of the year, will receive their usual deep clean and disinfecting in May, to prepare for campers, troupers, and staff to arrive in June. Our staff for both Smirkus Camp and the Big Top Tour are trained to identify and address illness of all kinds and to take positive steps to ensure that participants wash and sanitize their hands and that our equipment is regularly cleaned and disinfected to prevent the spread of any germs.
Smirkus Camp and Big Top Tour trouper families who are concerned about protecting nonrefundable program tuition in the face of illness or other concerns are encouraged to add a protection plan through CampDoc, our registration platform. To do so, please log in to your account at app.campdoc.com. From there, click on the Protection Plan tab and click the checkbox next to the sessions you would like to protect. If you have questions or need any assistance, please reach out to Robin Allen LaPlante at robin.laplante@smirkus.org.
Tickets for the Big Top Tour go on sale on May 1. We are already working on ways to protect our audiences and provide any other necessary measures in July and August. With more than three months to go until our Opening Day in Greensboro on June 27, we still have some time to watch the situation closely and do everything we can to provide a wonderful, safe, and healthy summer season for everyone.
Here are two sources we have found helpful:
These are unsettling times for all of us, and we promise that we are monitoring the situation as it evolves and doing everything we can to keep our programs as safe as possible. At the same time, we’re anticipating the summer 2020 season with our typical optimism and excitement…and maybe with just a little extra determination to bring as much wonder and inspiration to the world as we possibly can. Please join us in that determination, and stay in touch for the next few months!
Wishing you joy and magic, especially in challenging times,
Jennifer Carlo
Executive Director
Circus Smirkus |
