Photography/Essay Winners
May 10, 2010
news release
FIRST PLACE
Compassion of Bonnie and Oliver Grueninger
Seeing the smile and hearing the laughter from a boy sitting in his wheelchair while Oliver brings over carrots in a tub and Bonnie walks up with Jubilee, is what inspires me each time I visit Bonnie and Oliver Grueninger. They have devoted the past 25 years of their life and life savings to found and run Jamestown New Horizons, a therapeutic horseback riding program for children with disabilities in Florissant, Missouri. It is all the little things behind the scenes that riders, their families and volunteers are not aware of, that I’ve been blessed to see and makes me realize what an even greater sacrifice they give every day to these children, horses and volunteers.
The rooster crows, they are ready to begin the day. Tilly, their Doberman pinscher accompanies Bonnie to the far end of the pasture to rid vines on the fence so the horses do not get caught in them. While walking, they check the pasture for anything that could harm the horses. Oliver heads to the stable, greeting the horses as he gives them their feed and hay, making sure each one responds and looks as they should. After opening the gate to the pasture, Oliver opens each stall and these beautiful creatures kick up their heels, galloping to the pasture where they play and rest before working with the children that evening.
Bonnie heads back to the house and into the office to perform the innumerable duties that keep her occupied, and away from giving her beloved horses the attention she knows they deserve. Around noon, Oliver comes from the stable to see what to fix for their lunch. Yes, he is the man of the house but chores are shared equally by this couple that has been married 48 years.
The afternoon flies by and soon the driveway bell rings signifying that volunteers are coming followed by parents and children for their lesson. Even though the children receive physical and occupational therapy and social skills to name a few, they do not realize it since this environment is different from the cold, sterile setting of a clinic. Here, they feel warm sun, see geese at the pond, a raccoon and her babies among the trees, all as they sit tall on their horses riding around the arena.
Even after the last session ends at 8:30 pm Bonnie and Oliver’s day isn’t done. They chat with volunteers regarding the sessions and then finally turn off the lights in the indoor riding arena and stable and walk to the house. They sit, review and make notes about the riders and tack for the following week.
Their wealth of patience, knowledge, compassion is unsurpassed. And they have a way of making each rider, their family and the volunteers feel that they now are part of their family – whether they have been coming 25 years or 2 years like me.
And did I mention they are in their seventies and have more energy than the Energizer Bunny!
Photo and Essay by Nancy Finke of north St. Louis County
SECOND PLACE
Three Sparrows in My Nest
I have thee sparrows that inspire me--- my three children: Elliana, Keaton and Kellin Hentoff-Killian. We live in Florissant and work at Circus Harmony which is located inside of City Museum in downtown St. Louis but teaches and performs throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Parents who do work they love often hope their children will follow in their footsteps. Teachers hope their students will surpass them. Elliana, Keaton and Kellin are not only my children but they are also my students. I am honored that they have all chosen to follow in my footsteps and I’m inspired by the integrity and passion they each bring to their work.
My name is Jessica Hentoff and I am a retired circus performer who runs Circus Harmony, a circus school and social circus program here in St. Louis. Like most women in the circus, I’ve just always had my children by my side as I did my work. They have each, in their own way, embraced this work as their own. As I watch Elliana, Keaton and Kellin make their own contributions to circus, to the St. Louis community and beyond, it inspires me to do more and better myself.
As members of Circus Harmony, these circus siblings have grown up very much in the public eye. They teach and perform at City Museum and throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. They have also served as circus peace ambassadors through Circus Harmony’s Peace Through Pyramids collaboration with the Jewish/Arab Galilee Circus in Israel. With their work, these three formidable young people personify Circus Harmony’s mission to “defy gravity, soar with confidence, and leap over social barriers all at the same time.”
Elliana (18) started working in the circus ring when she was just two weeks old because I went back to work and took her with me. She did her first trick at 6 months old --- standing in the hand of Giovanni Zoppe, otherwise known as Nino the Clown. At two, she was performing with the St. Louis Arches, the youth circus troupe I coached. Now, she is a senior member of that troupe.
Elliana has stood on the back of galloping horses, done splits on tight wires, flown on the flying trapeze and much more. Her aerial duet has performed at the internationally renowned Spoleto Arts Festival. It makes me very proud to watch her practice and perform. Her dedication and focus are inspirational in themselves.
What really touches my heart and makes Elliana my hero is her desire to pass it on to others. This year, she started taking American Sign Language. When I asked her why, she told me she wanted to teach circus to deaf children. She does not remember that when she was one year old, she used to sit and play on a blanket while I taught circus to children at the Gallaudet School for the Deaf. At least, she doesn’t consciously remember this.
Elliana has been an assistant teacher at Circus Harmony for several years. This year, she has become one of the lead teachers. She teaches all the adult aerial classes and also goes into schools and community centers throughout St. Louis to each circus arts to children. She does an amazing job. She is patient, kind, strict and fair. Children love her. They learn from her. And she is also wise enough to learn from each of them.
My daughter is also my hero because she is so eloquent in what she does. In an essay she wrote about her life, Elliana said: I want to be able to communicate and teach no matter what kind of barrier there may be. I want to take that barrier down and share my knowledge and love of circus with any one who wants to learn. I want to be able to use my experiences and up-bringing to cross over different lines and make it so even if you are deaf or in a wheel chair or live in the poorest neighborhood you can still present yourself in the circus ring and be proud of who you are and what you can do.
Keaton (15) entered the circus ring as soon as he could crawl. He always wanted to be part of the show. When he was just two, he happily and responsibly served as the assistant for both my dog and parrot shows--- handing me props and helping with the animals. He has always been the most willing and able worker at any circus-related task. He has grown into an accomplished performer. Keaton’s skills run the gamut from tumbling and juggling to trapeze and unicycling. If it is a circus act, he can do it.
Keaton is also an excellent and compassionate teacher. His empathetic nature makes him a teacher that students of all ages and backgrounds trust and work well with. He has a special knack for helping children overcome fears. It is wonderful to watch him get a child to try something they thought they could not do and see Keaton share in their joy as his young charges succeed in places they didn’t think they could.
The concept of fairness is very important to Keaton. He will often champion a child who he thinks is not being treated fairly. He is intensely aware of social justice issues locally and internationally. When he was 13, Keaton single handedly raised over $1500 to help the people of Darfur.
This young man is a natural leader and uses this ability to serve his team mates. As part of the circus troupe, the St. Louis Arches, Keaton is the one the troupe turns to when they need to put together an act or an entire show. He inspires his team mates and students to work harder and do more. Keaton is my hero because he not only works hard to perform well himself but also helps lead others to do so.
Kellin (13) is the artist, the non-conformist, the boy in his own world with his rubber chickens and his duct tape. He was fascinated with juggling and juggling props from an early age and used to line up props and pretend to be doing an act. Unlike his siblings, Kellin was not interested in performing until he could do tricks that he thought were worthwhile.
At the age of 6, he approached me to ask if he could present a solo show in our circus ring at City Museum. “You don’t have a show,” I said. But he did. Kellin had put together a small juggling show of his own. He was the first of many future youth circus showcase performers. He won a national juggling contest with his original chef juggling act when he was 10 years old. At age 12, Kellin was responsible for the first student produced show. Students as old as 18 signed up to be directed by him in this original production.
Kellin is a creator--- from building things with food and stacking lawn furniture into sculptures as a toddler, to stop-action Lego movies and life-sized duct tape dummies as a pre-teen. He has created innovative juggling acts, an array of duct tape fashions and armies of creatures made from recycled materials. He sees things in his mind and makes them real. Everything he does is one-of-a-kind.
Kellin’s concentration and creativity inspire me. He is and has always been his own person. Because he is so solid in himself, he is the first to befriend new students at the circus. Kellin is admired by children, teens and adults for who he is and how he is in the world, in addition to what he creates. Kellin is my hero because I think it is amazing to find someone so true to themselves at so young an age.
Photo and Essay by Jessica Hentoff of Florissant
THIRD PLACE
Geri Heidepriem - "A Sparrow Who Soared"
My friend Geri's nickname is "bird." She got the nickname years ago, when we were teens and played softball together. She was petite and fast; she could run like the wind. Everyone loved her.
Today, at 55, she is still petite, but not quite so fast. Wheelchair-bound, she is paralyzed on the right side. Everyone still loves her, but with a love deepened and enriched by her extraordinary passion for life.
Geri has taught me, and those around her, lessons we'll never forget. The first is her steadfast courage in adversity. Ten years ago, she was diagnosed with Mylodysplasia, a terminal form of cancer of the blood. She was given three or four years to live. She has defied the odds -- fighting with everything she has. Because of the cancer, she subsequently developed other kinds of illnesses and complications, such as insulin-dependent diabetes and fibromyalgia. Then, making matters worse, she had a stroke. No one knew if she would make it or not. She was in the ICU for months. That was followed by months of therapy.
Geri has learned to use her left hand and tries to do everything she can by herself. But of course, her husband, Randy has to help her with a lot of things. He is another sparrow. True love is an amazing thing to watch. Many people stricken with one debilitating illness after another would give up. Not Geri. She has met every setback with determination, fortitude -- and, most of all, grace.
I would say Geri, "Why are you always in a good mood?" With a smile, always with a smile, she would say, “Do you think anyone would want to be around me if I was angry and crabby all the time?”
Everyone who worked at St. John’s therapy loved her. And the patients just had a ball with her. She was always making them laugh, and she could hardly talk! Day by day, her love of life has inspired us. But even that does not capture all that makes her special. Despite her physical struggles, limitations and pain, Geri is always giving to the people she loves.
I remember when I was going through my divorce. Every Wednesday she would come up with some excuse for me to come by at dinner time, knowing my daughter would be with her dad and I would be alone. Her friendship and presence were a source of strength as I went through a difficult time.
As physically challenging as it is for her, she does her best to let people know she's thinking of them, in small ways as well. She writes cards from her computer. It may take her hours to do one, but she stays at it and doesn’t give up. Before the stroke she was somewhat ambulatory. She came over and watched my mom who was suffering with heart disease. They were quite a pair. People would laugh and say, “Whose watching who?”
When another friend became a diabetic, she spent hours writing down and explaining to her what she should eat, when, substitutes, etc. It really picked her up and helped my friend realize that diabetes isn’t a death sentence.
She is always the first to laugh at herself. She fell through the seat on the commode and couldn’t get out. She yelled “Randy, I am in a pickle!” At Christmas we all got an ornament shaped like a pickle. Not just for me, but for all of Geri’s friends, family and acquaintances, it has been our pleasure to have her in our life as long as we have. And I hope it will stay that way for a long time to come. Here’s to Geri, our sparrow of St. Louis.
Photo by Dennis O’Malley of Webster Groves
Essay by Cindy Matejcic of south St. Louis County
|
