There are a few things you can expect to happen every year in Paducah. Quilting in the spring, barbecue in September, and in November, Dancing Freddie. For the past twenty years, Freddie Hicks, or “Dancing Freddie,” has been dancing to pleasant music outside of Kroger at Hannan Plaza in the days leading up to the annual Lions Club/WPSD Local 6 Telethon of Stars to raise money for our local Easterseals.
Telethon of Stars has been happening since 1957 and is hosted by Lions Club and WPSD Local 6 as a fundraiser for Easterseals. For more than 100 years, Easterseals has served as an indispensable resource for individuals with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and their families.
Freddie, long time Kroger-employee, shares, “It all started in the year 2000, when I spent my vacation time dancing in front of Kroger to raise money. The first day I ever danced, I raised $247. I really couldn’t believe that and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if I could raise $500 to donate to Telethon of Stars?’” That same year, Freddie raised over $2,400 from Kroger customers cheerfully dropping donations in his bucket as he brought smiles to their faces.
Freddie laughs, saying, “I really didn’t expect to do it again the following year, but I had built my vacation time back up at Kroger and figured why not? In 2001, donations jumped to over $4,600. The third year, we broke $5,000, and the total has increased almost every year since.” This year, Freddie expects to raise over $16,000 for the 2020 Telethon of Stars.
Freddie was a full-time employee at Kroger when he began. He describes Kroger as his home, and he gleamed when reminiscing on all the customers that he had grown to know so well over the years. Freddie worked at Kroger for 33 years before retiring in 2005. Retirement didn’t stop him from spending meaningful time at one of his favorite places, though, doing his favorite thing for a cause dear to his heart.
You may be wondering how this all started. Freddie, a Mayfield, Kentucky native, has been watching Telethon of Stars for as long as he can remember. When Telethon of Stars started 63 years ago, Freddie was a child, but he remembers watching it on the television every year. It was a family tradition in their household. “Telethon was a really big deal! I mean, famous people would come to Paducah! I remember one year, sometime in the ‘50s, my mom had volunteered to answer phone calls for Telethon of Stars. Our home phone rang all night long with people calling to make donations. As children, we thought it was hilarious that the phone just kept ringing!” Freddie has never missed a Telethon, so he always knew he wanted to stay involved however he could.
Music and dancing were other life-long fortes of Freddie’s. “For many years, I worked in the old record store in Mayfield called Melody Mart. I also graduated from a dance school and owned a dance studio.” When he started dancing to raise money for a cause he’d grown up with, he knew it was a perfect fit.
“People often thank me for what I’ve done, but I’ve danced since the 4th grade. It’s just a part of my life. I don’t consider it a big deal. I’m getting outside in the fresh air and having fun. I’m in my element, and it benefits other people. I appreciate the community recognition, but the community members that drop their donations in the bucket are what makes it all worth it. They deserve the recognition.”
Over the years, Freddie has come to know several clients and employees within Easterseals, which makes the cause even more dear to his heart. “I go over there, and I see how this money is put to work,” he says. “I’ve seen people who were in wheelchairs who are now walking. I’ve seen children struggling to speak a full sentence who took speech therapy and can now talk normally. I’ve seen miracles happen because of the Telethon. I’ve even danced with people who were, at one time, not able to stand.”
Although Dancing Freddie has raised and donated tens of thousands of dollars over the years, he insists that he’s received more out of the experience than he’s ever given. Freddie humorously shares, “Well, I have gone through over fifteen pairs of shoes in my twenty years dancing. That pavement just eats right through them!”
Freddie’s favorite part about dancing at Kroger is simply the reactions and smiles from community members and their kindness as they continue to drop donations in the bucket.
“Kroger, the community, and my loved ones have been so good to me. Other people have made it all possible. I remember when I first started, I wasn’t sure what to do with the money each night after I’d collected it to keep it safe until I could donate it. My co-worker, Tammy Shumaker, Kroger employee of forty years, had volunteered to collect, count, organize, and secure my donations after each day. For twenty years, she’s been helping me, and I couldn’t do it without her.”
Freddie also cherishes his sweetheart, Lynda Clark. “We’ve been together since our early dancing days when we were young. She’s my number one supporter, and she takes care of me and makes sure I stay hydrated and healthy so I can keep dancing. She’s really been my strength,” he lovingly expresses.
Not even the weather can stop Freddie from hitting the pavement for this twenty-year tradition. “I’ve been out there with extra layers on, and I’ve been out there and got a sunburn! I just keep dancing and try to stay safe and hydrated. The weather doesn’t matter—there’s really no question if I’m going to go ahead and dance or not.” If it starts to rain, you will still find him under the awning or maybe even enjoying dancing in the rain.
Freddie hasn’t missed a year yet, even after multiple surgeries while battling cancer twice. He always recovered in just enough time to step to the beat of his favorite tunes to raise money for Telethon of Stars. As he reminisces over the past twenty years, he shares that 2020 will be his last year dancing in front of Kroger, but Easterseals is part of his life, and he plans to stay involved and participate in their fundraisers.
If you see Freddie out and about, be sure to say hello and ask him, “Do you have your dancing shoes on, Freddie?” In which instance, he will cheerfully respond, “Every pair of shoes I ever have on are dancing shoes!”
WPSD Local 6 aired the 63rd annual Telethon of Stars from Highland Baptist Church on Saturday, November 14th. Dancing Freddie was on the scene live to share his grand total of $24,320 raised in 2020.
