Friday, March 04, 2016

SLIVERS OAKLEY MEMORIAL FUND DRIVE IS NOW LIVE!








Frank "Slivers" Oakley was the single most influential American circus clown of the early 20th century. He performed an unheard of 15 minute solo baseball routine with the Ringling Bros. Circus that made him one of, if not the, premier comedian of his day. In the off-season he clowned in vaudeville and, in 1905, began working with Marceline in the tremendous spectacles at the massive New York Hippodrome.

He was a star.

Slivers wife passed away in 1913 and he never got over the loss of his beloved Nellie. Slivers took his own life on March 8, 1916.

Tuesday March 8th, 2016 will mark the 100th anniversary of his passing and clownalley.net is raising funds to purchase a stone next Tuesday to mark Slivers and Nellie's final resting place at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Queens, NY.

We are trying to spread the word throughout the clown, circus, vaudeville and variety communities that a GoFundMe site will be live from 12:00 noon on Friday March 4th, 2016 through midnight on Sunday March 6th (EST). We are trying to raise at least $3,000. for a 24"x12" stone with a laser etching of Slivers' clown character.

Any funds raised in excess will be donated to the International Clown Hall of Fame for similar future projects.

The GoFundMe site for donations is Click here to support Slivers Oakley Memorial Fund by Pat Cashin

Thank you in advance for your help, 

Pat Cashin
clownalley.net

Thursday, March 03, 2016

SLIVERS OAKLEY MEMORIAL FUND DRIVE

The Go Fund Me site is live and accepting donations now, the Fund Drive begins in earnest this Friday at noon EST.





Our very first donation came from the five year old son of friend Jon P. Pult...

"Hi Pat,

I was telling my wife this morning about your fundraising plan to mark the grave of Slivers Oakley and my five-year-old, unprompted, handed me his little change wallet and said "Here, Dad. There's some paper money and some coin money, send it to the clown for his grave." It's 35 dollars. I'll match it.

Good luck with the project. I hope it works out."


There is something so cosmically, karmically, comically right about the first donation coming from a very sweet, very generous five year old boy wanting to remember a clown that he's never seen.

Wednesday, March 02, 2016

SLIVERS OAKLEY: Memorial Fund Drive

Next Tuesday, March 8th 2016, will mark the 100th anniversary of the passing of legendary clown Frank "Slivers" Oakley.

Clownalley.net will be raising funds to provide Mr. Oakley with a grave marker. We will begin here on the site at noon (EST) on Friday March 4, 2016 and end at 11:59 PM (EST) on Sunday March 6th, 2016.

On the morning of March 8th, 2016 I will place the order based on funds raised over the weekend.


Yours,

Pat Cashin
clownalley.net