 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Class clown
By MICHAEL SANDLER
© St. Petersburg Times, HUNTER'S GREEN -- Susan Gilmore has quite a reputation in the office. That can happen after kissing a pig at work, then following it up with a goat. But what's a little dignity, especially when it's sacrificed for smiles on children. Gilmore employs her zany brand of antics to liven up the mood at Hunter's Green Elementary School. "You've got to have fun in life," said Gilmore, 47, a secretary at the school, who lives in Pebble Creek. "You can't keep it serious all the time." That spirit has provided a spark to holidays, fundraisers and food drives. Each new act trumps her last. One year, she dressed as a human Christmas tree; the next she rode to school on the back of a motorcycle in a Santa Claus outfit. She once wore a paper gown stapled together by cash register receipts, each one the work of a different student. Last month, she slipped into an official Tampa Fire Rescue uniform and joined the firefighters from Station 21 for a lesson on fire safety. "She brings life to the school," said principal Donna Ares. "She's zany, but she's also loving and giving. She's what school's all about, and what I want my school to be." But there's more to Gilmore than laughs and fun. "Don't let that personality fool you," said Ares. "She's extremely hard-working and gets the job done." Still, most of the students know her best for smacking lips with a pig. She did that two years ago to make good on a promise to the students, when they exceeded their goal of gathering 1,000 boxes of pasta and dry food during a drive for less fortunate families. They ended up with 1,400. "I thought he would bite me, but I kissed him twice," she said. "I made the commitment, so I did it." When they broke the goal the following year, she smooched a goat. Now, all the new students ask for her by name. "They see me and ask, "You are the pig lady? You are the goat lady?' " says Gilmore. "I say, "Yes I am.' " It's all fun for Gilmore, who was born in Ybor City and has lived in Tampa her entire life. She joined Hunter's Green six years ago to be on the same schedule with her boys, Brett and Spencer. Both were then students. Though they have since moved on to Benito Middle School, she stayed put. It's still fun. "This is the only job I've ever had that I can honestly say, I get up and I'm raring to go," she said. - Michael Sandler can be reached at (813) 226-3472 or sandler@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times |
