The CHARLIE Award is a trophy that is given to the COAI Clown Alley which best documents and celebrates International Clown Week (August 1-7). Adopted in 1974, it was offered to the (then) COA Alley that did the best job observing National Clown Week. In 1999, the COAI Board approved through the recommendation of the Clown Week chairman, Bob Gretton, a new award for the individual member. The Individual Award is given to a member of COAI which best documents and celebrates Clown Week on an individual basis.
Under the rules of the old COA, the award was given nine times, but discontinued in 1983. The competition was renewed in 1994.
The alley award was designed and donated by the Grand and Glorious Mid-Michigan Galaxy of Clowns, Alley #44. Introduced by Lyle Richard and approved by the COA Board, it is a 22-in high, 6-inch wide clown shoe carved of solid walnut by Roger Fosbender. Karen Allred of Utah Clown Alley #26 provided the fitting name, CHARLIE: Clowns Have A Real Love In Everyone. In 2000 the Individual award was designed and donated by the Kapitol Klowns, Alley #6.
The CHARLIE Award contest is open to all active alleys (contact the Alley Coordinator if you have questions on your alley status) and individual members. The winning alley and individual member receive their respective CHARLIE Awards for one year awarded at the COAI Spring Convention banquet, and will be given their plaques for permanent possession the following year.
RULES for Competing for the CHARLIE Award
as an Alley or an Individual
- A competing alley must be in good standing and have 100 percent COAI membership. Individual must also be a member in good standing in COAI.
- Put together a scrapbook. In this book you must have documentation about your Clown Week activities, news stories, thank you notes, proclamations, and pictures.
- An alley should show members who participated and days during the week showing events as well as types of activities.
- Electronic Scrapbook / Scrapbook must be submitted to the Clown Week Chair by October 1st of that year.
Teresa “Blondi” Gretton, Clown Week Chair
P.O.Box 787
Waldorf, MD 20604-0787
(301)379-6771
Email: Tgretton@comcast.net
- Winning Alley and Individual will be announced at the Saturday evening awards ceremony.
- Alley’s name will be engraved on the trophy. Individual’s name will go on plaque. Trophy and plaque will be returned in time for next year’s convention and substitute plaques will be given for permanent possession to alley and individual at spring COAI Convention.
- Alley has the choice of 1) taking the alley C.H.A.R.L.I.E. boot from convention, 2) leaving it with COAI or 3) pay expense of shipping boot.
ALLEY AWARD WINNERS
1975 The Grand & Glorious Galaxy of Clowns Alley #44
1976 Kapitol Klowns Alley #6
1977 Milwaukee Metro Clown Club Alley #37
1978 Milwaukee Metro Clown Club Alley #37
1979 Milwaukee Metro Clown Club Alley #37
1980 Texas Mid Cities Clown Alley #85
1981 Texas Mid Cities Clown Alley #85
1982 Greater Hartford Clown Alley #107
1983 Kapitol Klowns Alley #6
1984 – 1992 Not Awarded
1993 Classic Clown Club Alley #181
1994 Classic Clown Club Alley #181
1995 Omaha’s Wild Clown-Dum Alley #147
1996 Greater Hartford Clowns of America Alley #107
1997 Kapitol Klowns Alley #6
1998 Electric City Clown Alley #285
1999 Caloosa Clowns Alley #97
2000 Caloosa Clowns Alley #97
2001 -TIE Electric City Alley #285
Caloosa Clowns Alley #97
2002 Electric City Alley #285
2003 Omaha Wild Clowndum, Alley #147
2004 Electric City Clown Alley # 285
2005 Big Sky Clown Alley # 284
2006 Clowns Like Us Alley # 303
2007 Corn E Clowns of Erie County #394
2008 Classic Clown Club# 181
2009 Virginia Clown Alley # 3
2010 Electric City Clown Alley # 285
2011 Kapitol Klowns Alley # 6
2012 Kolonial Klowns Alley # 357
2013 Clowns Like Us Alley #303
2014 Classic Clown Club Alley # 181
2015 Erie Jolly Jesters #65
& The Eriesistible Clowns #420
2016 San Diego All Stars Alley # 56
2017 Toby’s Clown Alley, COAI Alley #296
2018 San Diego All Stars Alley #56
2019 Niagara Falls Clown Alley #431
2020 – Kolonial Klowns Alley #357
2021 – San Diego All Stars – Alley #56
2022 – No Recipient
INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS
1999 Richard “Design-O” Smith
2000 Kent “Kayo” Sheets
2001 Kent “Kayo” Sheets
2002 Sissy “Pipsqueak” Womak
2003 Bonita “Bon Bon” Love
2004 Michael “Bonkers” Cox
2005 Barbara “Sweet Thang” Cox
2006 Evon “Starlena” Taylor
2007 Sue “Squeeze” Marranconi
2008 John “Splash” Sullivan
2009 Ann “Tuttles” Sanders
2010 No Recipient
2011 John “Splash” Sullivan
2012 Diane “Toodles” Jones
2013 Marie ‘ Mischief’ Beck
2014 Connie ‘ Punkin’ Morrow
2015 Crissy ‘Miz Daisy’ Melnitzke
2016 Robin ‘Pinky B’ Bryan
2017 Lorice “Auntie Swizzle” Bolde
2018 Jim “Donuts” Donoughe
2019 – none
2020 – Jim “Donuts” Donoughe
2021 – Jackie “Bee Bee” Reynolds
2022 – Jim “Donuts” Donoughe
