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  • Dixie Busby paints a ladybug on the face of Rhett Borne from New Albany at Widow's Walk Ice Creamery for Wacky Wednesday, a celebration by We GET To, Inc. The organization tries to change negative attitudes to positive ones. Staff photo by Jerod Clapp

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June 6, 2012

‘We Get To’ Wednesday brings cheer to area

Organization spreads positivity across Southern Indiana

By BRADEN LAMMERS braden.lammers@newsandtribune.com

NEW ALBANY — The cool breeze coming off the Ohio River blew as children and their caregivers enjoyed some ice cream, got their faces painted and received free balloon animals Wednesday.

They could have stayed home and done something similar, but they got to get out of the house.

We GET To Inc., a charitable organization that tries to help people find positivity through even the most dire circumstances, hosted Wack Attack on Wacky Wednesday all over Southern Indiana on Wednesday. In Jeffersonville, Dixie Busby and Cotton Candy the Clown entertained children who visited Widow’s Walk Ice Creamery.

The organization was started by Denise Taylor, who lost her daughter, Jonnae, to leukemia four years ago. Wacky Wednesday was an event Jonnae was going to miss at school because of a bone marrow transplant. So they had their own Wacky Wednesday at the hospital.

Dressed as a bee and painting faces, Busby said the children who came by Wednesday may not have known the story behind why they were there, but they still got a little something out of the visit.

“I don’t say anything except that this is a day to celebrate life and that we get to do fun things,” Busby said. “We’re all on board with this because this is just such a positive thing, but you can’t help but be happy when you see someone dressed all wacky.”

Alysen Edwards with Mt. Tabor Wee Care said she was with a group of children on a field trip nearby and learned about what was going on at Widow’s Walk. They were going there for ice cream anyway and she said it sounded like fun.

“It makes them happy, so they have a positive outlook on life and things to do during the day,” Edwards said. “A lot of them have never done anything like this before, so the fact they get to do this and try new things is exciting for them.”

Bryan Fraley, co-owner of Widow’s Walk, said he had known Denise Taylor for years and wanted to help out with the event by offering another space they could use. Fraley said it wasn’t every day that he wore a frog hat, but he thought it was something to change the outlook of others.

“This is the first time I’ve done something crazy like this,” Fraley said. “I get to wear this frog hat today. It just puts a different perspective on things.”

He said the children who came by put a smile on his face as well and hopes they got a different outlook by looking at what they got to do Wednesday.

“By looking at the things you get to do rather than what you feel like you have to do, you just realize all the blessings you have around you,” Fraley said. “Every person in our parking lot today is a blessing for us.”

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ON THE WEB

• Learn more about We GET to Inc. at wegetto.org

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