Elementary Students Treated to Magic Show

by Elizabeth Pitts-Hibbard
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“Magic Monday” celebrated the top fundraisers of the Marlow Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization’s recent fall fundraiser. Marty Hahne, also known as Marty the Magician, came from his home in Missouri to entertain students in two shows at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center.

The fall fundraiser, held earlier in the school year, netted over $35,000 for the elementary school.

“Our total sales were over $49,000,” said PTO president Kara Choate. “Our school will get to keep half of that amount. Along with that was our donations, which stay completely within the school.”

Choate said that donation totals, which individuals give without purchasing anything during the fundraiser program, were over $9,500.

“We are blessed to be part of such a giving community and our Outlaws never cease to amaze us,” Choate said. “Instead, they always go above and beyond.”

This is the first time Hahne has performed in Marlow. The magician, who is from Ozark, Missouri, has been a full-time performer for 35 years. He said that he focuses primarily on young audiences. “I do mostly elementary schools, and then in the summertime I perform for a lot of summer reading programs at libraries,” he said. He also performs at festivals and fairs and for events with a nation-wide toy company.

Hahne said that he got into magic around the same age as the kids he now entertains. “I started doing magic when I was about eight years old,” he said. “I was a typical shy kid who got into magic. I didn’t do a lot of sports and things but I found a real interest in magic. By the time I was in junior high and high school I was out doing shows on weekends and making some money that way.

“Magic paid a lot of the bills all the way through college,” Hahne added. He said that he continued to do magic after college while working full-time as an Emergency Medical Technician. “Eventually I just got so busy that I had to decide one or the other, and I went full-time with magic.”

Hahne said that he loves working with the elementary-age group. “I love the fun and the laughter…you have to work with kids and come to their level and do things that they will enjoy.

“They’re an honest audience,” he said, “and they’ll tell you when they don’t like something.”

Although the performances were limited to students who qualified to attend by reaching a fundraising goal, Choate said that there were other incentives for all students. “Our Outlaws will get dollars back per item sold, along with a pie throw where they get to pick among their favorite teachers and Administrators to throw a pie at,” she explained.

“PTO's goal is always to help in every way we can to make our school the very best it can be for our kiddos, teachers, and administrators,” Choate said. “Our PTO Officers and volunteers put in more hours than most would ever guess to make sure we can continue having this kind of success for our school.”

Photos by Elizabeth Pitts-Hibbard, except where noted.