Grande Prairie hospital unveils refurbished clown car after five years
Volunteers spent nearly two years rebuilding the vehicle, which gives young patients rides at Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.
Grande Prairie Regional Hospital unveiled a newly refurbished clown car on Aug. 26, restoring a fixture that had been out of service for five years. The car is driven by resident therapy clown Butterfly and her assistant Brookie, who use it to give rides to young patients and their families.
The restoration was a nearly two-year volunteer project led by Trevor North of CIMA+, Jeff Kaior of Ultimate Energy Controls, and Bob Dudenhoeffer of Dude Racing. The team replaced almost all of the vehicle's electronics and mechanical components, keeping only the original tires and frame. Dudenhoeffer also redesigned the gearing to reduce the car's speed for safety around hospital staff and visitors.
Hospital senior operations officer Candice Edey said the vehicle offers a fun, memorable experience for children during difficult hospital stays. Butterfly, who has worked as a therapy clown in the Grande Prairie area for 20 years and was recently hired full-time by the hospital, said patients often remember the clown car rides long after they forget why they were admitted.
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