Gas South takes local special needs children to The Greatest Show On Earth

Patricia Dang, age 5, of Suwanee received a behind-the-scenes look at The Greatest Show On Earth with 200 other local children with special needs, thanks to a special gift from Gas South and its community partners.

Other Gwinnett County residents in attendance were Isaac Afolabi, age 5, of Duluth; Dmarcus Riley, age 7, of Peachtree Corners; and Suwanee Mayor Jimmy Burnette, among others.

Gas South teamed up with the Metropolitan Atlanta Mayors Association, the Georgia Municipal Association and Feld Entertainment to take special needs families to the circus. This is the fifth year that Gas South has hosted this special event.

“We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of community associations that help make this possible each year,” said Kevin Greiner, President and CEO of Gas South. “Our local mayors’ offices and Feld Entertainment really make this a magical experience for everyone. This event is truly the greatest show on earth, and we are honored to share it with these very deserving kids and their families.”

The children and their families received free admission to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus and the Magical Journey event, a private pre-show on the arena floor where the children interacted with the circus animals and performers. Children also received entertaining circus souvenirs.

Feld Entertainment, which has produced similar pre-show events across the nation, designed the Atlanta event specifically for the special needs of the young attendees. Children with hearing impairments were provided with sign language interpreters for the floor show and circus performance, while the pre-show elements for children with visual impairments focused on touch and sound experiences. Feld also works with each venue to provide wheelchair and other mobility device-accessible seating for guests.

The event took place on Feb. 7 at Gwinnett Center.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Association of Mayors and Georgia Municipal Association worked together with agencies in their 30 respective communities to distribute the tickets to local children with special needs.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience not only for the children, but for us as volunteers. To be able to see the smiles on these kids’ faces and give them a gift like this is priceless,” said Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson, who serves as Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Mayors’ Association.