If you have ever wondered what goes behind the scenes of putting together Klamath Union High school’s largest event of the year, ask Klamath Union junior Kinna Freid.
Photo: Klamath Union senior, Jose Garcia, visits Mills Elementary School Thursday, visiting his little pelican, kindergarten student, Joaquin Rojas Hernandez, part of the March 7 Mr. Pelican pageant.
Event: Mr. Pelican will start at 7 p.m. Friday, March 7 at the Ross Ragland Theater.
Freid is Klamath Union’s Associated Student Body vice president and, along with her surrounding student leadership classmates, have been busy with the planning of the annual KU fundraiser at the Ross Ragland Theater, Mr. Pelican.
Klamath Union ASB president, Andi Harmon, has also had her hands tied with the planning of the upcoming event, which will showcase some of Klamath Union’s most talented male students, which will include: John Potter, Jose Garcia, Bryce Petersen, Logan Norton, Ulises Ortega-Delgadillo, Wyatt Jensen, Connor Jackson and Damien Hunt-Plummer.
The planning for Mr. Pelican could have been agreed had started last year with the thought of what this year’s theme would be. Freid and her classmates recalled having the theme of the Olympics be decided a year ago, though the group of students began steps of planning for this year’s event this past October.
The stress of planning such a large event has come with experience from Freid, who has been a part of KU student leadership since her freshman year, planning smaller events with KU ASB, including the last two years of Mr. Pelican.
Freid’s freshman year was spent making the event’s pamphlet when she was a beginner in KU’s Digital Media program. A year ago, she was a coordinator for the event’s male contestants and helped in dance practices.
The pressure, however, is ongoing in planning an event the magnitude of Mr. Pelican. Last year’s event was spearheaded by current KU senior, Marley Ogao.
“Our advisor (Rhiannon Kerr) does a really good job of staying organized and I think I picked up a lot from that, knowing how to communicate with adults in the community, be respectful and know how to send emails correctly and have it sound professional,” Freid said.
Retired Klamath Union instructor and former KU DECA advisor, Nat Ellis, has also been vital in the planning for this year’s Mr. Pelican, coming up with fundraising packages for businesses in Klamath Falls to purchase. Klamath Union junior Talan Chancellor has been in charge of fundraising for the event, helping underclassmen with ways they can go from business to business to fundraise for Mr. Pelican.
Last year’s event had funds go toward Klamath Hospice and Palliative Care. This year’s funds will go back to a custom Mr. Pelican has done in the past, which is to have event funds be given to a Klamath Falls City Schools student in need.
Back to the playground
This past Thursday and Friday, Mr. Pelican contestants returned to their former elementary school buildings and playgrounds to spend lunch and recess with their selected little Pelicans.
Harmon and ASB member, Leah Segura, accompanied Garcia to his childhood school, Mills Elementary School.
Garcia, the only Mr. Pelican contestant to have attended Mills, had lunch and then took time to run around the playground with his selected student, kindergartener, Joaquin Rojas Hernandez. Harmon was on site to document on video the experience between Garcia and Rojas Hernandez.
Garcia and the rest of his Mr. Pelican contestants handed out goodie bags, with the hope of having their selected student be familiar with them before being on stage at the Ross Ragland Theater and participating in a question and answer segment.
“All of our contestants are going to be in their Olympic track suits. When they're giving their words, they are gonna be standing on a track, Olympic podium. All of the guys are unique in their own way,” Freid said. “We don’t want this event to flop. I think it's definitely pretty stressful for most of us that are heavily involved just because it's such a big event and we really want to be able to give back to our community … that is what we want to have known most.”
“We rely heavily on our community, so this event is kind of our way to say thanks and give back to our community, our supporting businesses, the city schools. It's something that we really hope people show up to so we can display how much it means to us as the KU community.”
How to purchase Mr. Pelican tickets
Mr. Pelican is around the corner! Do not miss your opportunity to see live and in person one of the most exciting Klamath Union events of the year.
You can purchase tickets from the following link: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?actions=4&p=1
Contestants for Klamath Union's Mr. Pelican and members of Klamath Union ASB have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming event starting at 7 p.m. Friday, March 7 at Ross Ragland Theater.
