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The Winchester Sun
December 8, 2011
With his pompadour hairdo, 1950s era clothing, comical props and sound effects, Retro Bill carried his audience of elementary school students on a roller coaster ride from gutbusting slapstick comedy one moment, to a quiet stillness the next as he delivered a serious message about bullying and staying away from drugs and alcohol.
And judging by the enthusiastic response during the performance, the more than 1,200 Clark County school children who packed the George Rogers Clark High School auditorium Wednesday to hear the popular motivational speaker and comedian deliver his high-energy message for the DARE program enjoyed the ride.
For the past 13 years, Retro Bill has been the official International DARE Safety Buddy and colorful spokesman for the program, which is aimed at giving kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs and violence.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the Winchester Police Department, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Clark County Public Schools and the local Alcohol Substance Abuse Program (ASAP), this is the second time Retro Bill has brought his safety program to Clark County.
Winchester Police officer Chris Cantor, who heads the DARE program, said Retro Bill was brought back a second time because he was such a hit with local students last spring.
“Retro Bill was awesome. He’s really funny and he’s a genuinely good guy,” Cantor said. “The kids really loved him last spring when he was here. We had more than 400 elementary kids at the high school and then at the preschool see him, so we wanted to bring him back again, this time for all the students in the DARE program to see him.”
“When kids come to my shows, they’re going to be entertained, but they’re also going to be educated,” he said. “I want to empower them to not let bullies or drugs or alcohol or tobacco get in the way of their dreams, but I also want them to have a good time.”
Teachers, parents and speakers like himself have to compete with other influences such as cell phones, social networking sites and video games for the kids’ attention, he said, so he first has to capture their attention, then he can deliver the “good stuff.”
“I love being able to take my fans and audience on a roller coaster ride where we laugh and we have fun and then, boom, I go right to their heart with something serious,” Retro Bill said. “Then we laugh and use some props and some humor then, boom, to the heart with something serious.”
When asked how he survived a grueling schedule that takes him on the road about 300 days a year, he said though it was tiring, doing something he truly loves to do is worth it.
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