Bradley Parke Thompson always has been a family man. He and his brothers, Brian and Andy, run the business their father, Bob, started in 1975. The three brothers form the backbone of Envelope Mart of N.E. Ohio Inc., a manufacturer based in Elyria, Ohio, that prints approximately 1 million envelopes daily.
Thompson's duties as Envelope Mart's president can be time-consuming, demanding and stressful. But his life isn't all work and no play. Thompson makes plenty of time for some funny business--literally.
Thompson's debut as a clown was in 1982. His nephews, Sean and Justin, were toddlers at the time and wanted a clown to entertain guests at their joint birthday party. Their father, Andy, turned to his older brother for help. It didn't take much convincing to transform the once-shy stutterer into his less-inhibited, goofier counterpart. Thompson had been juggling for years, thanks in part to Juggling for the Complete Klutz, a book his mother, Bobbie, bought him when he was a teenager.
So Thompson concocted a clown outfit, took out his juggling balls and gave it his best shot. "I was a little bit nervous at first," Thompson recalls, "but it was very rewarding when I got to see the kids and their smiles. I made a difference in a child's day, at the least."
Shortly after his debut, Thompson enrolled in clown school at Project Joy, a community arts organization in Elyria. He emerged as "Snickers" (named after his favorite candy bar). The school's main purpose is to learn how to "have fun with the freedom that comes from clowning, from being another identity," Thompson says.
Today, Thompson volunteers at approximately six events annually, most of which are annual, service-related occasions such as The Muscular Dystrophy Walk, Christmas events for The American Legion and Rotary International activities involving kids.
Successful clowns feel comfortable in their oversized shoes, and Thompson has become just that in his size-15 footwear. "I don't put any expectations on myself at all--only for the kids to smile," he says. And although his teenage stepdaughter, Rachel, tends to feel embarrassed by Snickers, Thompson says the joy he brings to younger children makes clowning worthwhile. "I'm not a clown for big laughs," he says. "I just have fun with it. I look into their eyes and talk to them."
Communication is key to Thompson's clowning style, but he does more than talk. He creates balloon animals, juggles, and acts as a mentor and friend. Every week for the past five years, Thompson has visited fourth-graders at Franklin Elementary School in Elyria as part of Rotary International's Adopt-A-Classroom program. "That's really been my joy--going into the classroom and getting hugs," he says. "You just can't beat that."
Thompson's dedication to Franklin Elementary School students might explain why he recently was elected president of Rotary International, a service organization composed of business leaders aiming to make a difference in their communities. That gig, along with Thompson's ability to bring children joy, is certainly nothing to snicker at.
--Meredith Make
