Frank McBride
News Photographer

The Greatest Show on Earth is in town again. Soon Reliant stadium will be filled with the spectacle of animals, acrobats, daredevils and of course the clowns. The circus is good clean family fun for "kids of all ages", and kids are the greatest fans.

Sadly, some kids can't go to the circus or anywhere else because they are in the hospital trying to get better. For them, three of the famous clown troupe members, Leo, Lance and Todd, donned white lab coats and performed a show for patients at Texas Children's Hospital.

They had the painted faces, crazy hair, baggy pants and giant shoes, but somehow they still seemed cool. At times they were juggling, telling jokes, balancing chairs on their chins, performing pratfalls and smacking each other around like the three stooges.

Anyone who has ever attempted to capture the attention of a roomful of kids knows this is not easy to do. The ground is littered with the bones of those who have tried and failed. (Great line from the Power Rangers Movie) As a veteran of a nightmare appearance at Career Day, my hat is off to anyone who can pull it off. These guys did.

These kids were captivated and laughing themselves silly. They were juggling scarves, throwing potatoes, clapping their hands, and their eyes never left the performers. One little boy arrived with his head shaved and was walking with the assistance of a wheeled support. He watched for awhile with a blank look on his face, but slowly the corners of his mouth began turning upward and soon a full-blown smile had taken over. You could see his mood lift and maybe his obstacles weren't weighing quite as heavily on him in that instant.

Every child that saw the show has their own story of what brought them to the hospital that day. Whatever their circumstances, Leo, Lance and Todd were more than happy to give that day a moment of silly, lighthearted laughter. That was pretty spectacular.

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