Sarasota’s Circus Ring of Fame gets restored after suffering hurricane damage

SARASOTA, Fla. — In Sarasota, a son of the circus is doing right by his legendary mom.

Bill Powell is the chair and CEO of the Circus Ring of Fame, a free attraction on St. Armands Circle that celebrates the Big Top’s best and brightest.

His mother, Gee Gee Engesser, was a circus legend, an equestrienne and an animal trainer who entertained millions with her bold, brave showstopping

Engresser has a beautiful tribute on the Circus Ring of Fame, as do more than 170 others, including John Ringling and P.T. Barnum.

But a punishing hurricane season devastated St. Armands Circle, which goes for the circus folk, too.

So Powell and a very handyman named Mike Fields are embarking on a painstaking mission: to offset the damage from flooding and saltwater by restoring the historical circus tributes.

“Mother Nature plays havoc on these things,” says Powell.

“It is literally a race against time right now,” says Powell.

Sand-blasting, painting, lettering: Each metallic tribute is pulled from a cement base and driven 45 minutes to Nokomis, at Mike’s house, where tender love and care are shown to the performer’s legacy.

For more on the Circus Ring of Fame — to explore interactive pictures and videos of the performers or even to donate to the cause — go here.