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Spreading Choo-Choo Cheer

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By JOYCE McKENZIE

jmckenzie@tampatrib.com

Published: December 17, 2008

UNIVERSITY AREA - Fay Young's favorite pastimes are dancing and clowning around with her buddies. She is also passionate about kids.

So it came as no surprise to her friends when the Mary Walker Apartments resident made it her mission to coordinate and direct an on-site holiday performance last week with the children from nearby Family Loving Child Care center.

On the other hand, it was flabbergasting to Maria "Miss Millie" Esquerdo, the center's assistant manager and pre-school teacher, when she learned that Young is 70 years old and blind.

"She's absolutely awesome," said Esquerdo, who lent a hand with Young's rehearsals, which began in September.

Former teachers and Land O' Lakes residents Pat "Patty Cake" Evans and Villa "Moon Ray" Ray assisted Young, who also is known as "Sunshine Clown," in the production of "The Little Engine That Could." Evans created the sign used to introduce the play, and Ray constructed a train from cardboard boxes to help tell the story.

"I love these ladies," said Young, a former dance studio owner.

Young, Evans and Ray - dubbed the Clown Packin' Grandmas - entertain other mature adults in senior assisted-living and nursing home facilities throughout the Tampa Bay area.

For the children's performance, Ray also read aloud from the book, penned by Watty Piper, as the boys and girls formed a passenger train in need of an engine to take it over a tall mountain.

The performance's climax came in the form of Ray playing the accordion as the children sang a medley of Christmas carols. The grand finale was Young performing "Silent Night" on her violin.

Alvin McConley, a Mary Walker Apartments resident, said he enjoyed having the children come to the facility and spread some good holiday cheer.

Toni Arnao seemed even more impressed with the person who made it happen.

"Faye is an amazing woman to do what she does when she can't even see the children," said Arnao, the complex's administrator.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849.

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