History and heroes on display during Great Americans Day
Debbie Herbst, of Carthage, has been working since 2002 with friends Michelle Holiday and Bonnie Schaeffer to present Great Americans Day to fifth graders from Carthage, Joplin and other communities.
They've only missed two years since then — because of COVID-19 — but every year is consistent. Volunteers from across the area portray people who have contributed to American history in ways that helped build the country. This year, volunteers portrayed more than half a dozen figures from American history in Carthage's Central Park, including Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Squanto.
'Kids are taught to idolize sports stars or famous people who make lots of money or maybe they're really good-looking,' Herbst said. 'And maybe they're good people, but that does not mean they did anything of virtue. Really, that's the purpose of Great Americans Day. It's to show that true heroes are people of courage and faith and perseverance and compassion. Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by my husband, Bob, does a wonderful job of talking about the virtue of perseverance. Lincoln endured a great deal of hardship in his life, and that's how he developed the perseverance to lead America through the Civil War.'
Herbst said she and the other organizers got the idea from an event that was held in Webb City.
'We had seen and heard of a Great Americans Day in Webb City and one of my friends was an actress, so we said, 'I wonder if we could do that,'' Herbst said. 'Our first year, we only had two little schools of about 100 children. Then the second year, 2003, that was when we included all the Carthage fifth graders.'
She said private and public schools from Joplin, Monett, Pierce City and other communities have brought their students to past Great Americans Day events.
Madison Herr, a fifth grade student at St. Mary's Catholic School in Joplin, said she enjoyed the day in the park and the stories that were told.
Among the stations she singled out was Carl Junction police Officer Doug Dickey portraying the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, being interviewed by Dickey's wife, Vicki Dickie.
'I liked his story because I liked the interview, how she actually interviewed him,' Madison said. 'The George Washington Carver story was fun because he actually used peanuts in ways we didn't know they could be used. Squanto was very cool because he was there and helped with the Pilgrims. My favorite was probably either eating popcorn and listening to the Squanto story or the George Washington Carver story.'
Her friend, Emmy Jane Dinger, also with St. Mary's School, said she liked playing a game called graces, which involved two people using two rods to throw a ring to each other.
Volunteer Karl Wendt, who portrayed William Bradford, the leader of the Pilgrims who came to Plymouth Rock on the Mayflower, said he loved working with the fifth graders.
'The kids are eager and excited, and it's that right age when they're still asking lots of questions,' Wendt said. 'This is a great opportunity to talk to them. You're cautious in schools to talk about faith, but we're here on a day like this to be historically accurate. And you get to share what was kind of the faith backbone of some of these great Americans.'
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