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                                                                                                           local Friday 14 april 2023
            Imelda Geerman-Willems: 18 years of bringing joy to children




            (Oranjestad)—For  18  long                                                                                          in Action, received an invi-
            years  now,  Imelda  Geer-                                                                                          tation  to  perform  in  Cura-
            man-Willems have brought                                                                                            cao.
            joy  to  the  children  of  Aru-                                                                                    “This was my dream come
            ba  with  her  puppets,  and                                                                                        true, thanks to the EZ crew,
            in  recent  years,  with  her                                                                                       my family—and last but not
            magnificent puppet shows.                                                                                           least, my promoter, Corine.
            In an interview with our re-                                                                                        We  were  able  to  repre-
            porter,  Imelda  shares  her                                                                                        sent Aruba and have left a
            journey that has led her into                                                                                       beautiful mark. In Curacao,
            the world of child entertain-                                                                                       we were able to sell out the
            ment and puppetry.                                                                                                  show and perform for 1500
                                                                                                                                people  in  the  audience.
            Imelda has been a govern-                                                                                           From  the  moment  the  first
            ment  worker  for  30  years.                                                                                       song  played,  you  could
            She  told  our  reporter  that                                                                                      hear  the  children’s  excite-
            she  comes  from  a  family                                                                                         ment. It really warmed our
            of 8 children; 5 girls, 3 boys.                                                                                     hearts  and  made  us  less
            She  is  the  youngest  of  the                                                                                     nervous.  It  was  a  beautiful
            bunch. She’s been married                                                                                           experience. It does take a
            to  Patrick  Geerman  for  22                                                                                       lot  of  work,  but  it’s  always
            years  and  they  have  one                                                                                         worth  it  for  the  kids.  A  big
            teenage son who is now 19                                                                                           thanks  goes  to  Miss  Debra
            years old.                                                                                                          for  joining  the  show,”  she
                                                                                                                                expressed.
            Imelda worked at Party An-   surprised  me  with  a  num-  one day. This gave her the  After working on two shows
            imals for 8 and a half years,  ber  from  the  Chamber  of  idea  to  give  children  that  with  Tio  George  and  Tan-  For what’s in store this year,
            but after her mother passed  Commerce with the name  may not have the luxury to  chi  Esmee,  Imelda  shared  Imelda assures that there is
            away, she decided to stop  ‘EZ party solutions’ on it. It’s  go to Disney Land, to enjoy  that she did something be-  a great show coming soon,
            working  at  children’s  par-  been  18  years  since  that  the  same  type  of  charac-  yond her comfort zone: she  but  that  she  couldn’t  give
            ties.  “My  mother’s  passing  surprise,  and  it  was  one  ters that you see there.   produced  her  own  show  away too much yet.
            left a hole in my heart. Not  of the best things that has                              named  “Masha  and  the
            long after that, I lost my fa-  happened  to  me.  I  was  The  first  costume  that  Bear.” This show sold out 6  Lastly,  Imelda  extends  her
            ther as well. It was a really  able  to  go  back  to  mak-  Imelda got was a Hello Kitty  times  over  before  it  even  gratitude to everyone that
            rough time,” she expressed.  ing  children  happy,”  she  costume for a friend’s par-  premiered.                   has  helped  her  dreams
                                         shared.                      ty. After that, they met with  This year, she organized the  of  bringing  joy  to  children
            A couple months after quit-                               a group preparing their set  show called “Encanto and  come true. “Once again, I
            ting Party Animals, she start-  The  first  show  from  EZ  Par-  for  the  Carnaval  Queen  Friends.” She explained that  want to thank God for giv-
            ed to miss the joy of making  ty  Solutions  included  Tio  show, with their theme be-  after she saw the movie En-  ing me the energy and the
            children  happy.  After  talk-  George and Tanchi Esmee  ing  Sesame  Street.  Imelda  canto,  she  was  inspired  to  motivation to do what I do,
            ing  to  her  husband  about  (Uncle  George  and  Aunt  and  her  husband  imme-      make this show, along with  to  my  family  for  their  sup-
            how she felt, he started to  Esmee).  Imelda  explained  diately  offered  to  provide  the   beloved   character  port and patience, and to
            prepare a surprise for her.   that  at  that  time,  she  had  costumes  for  the  show—  Sonic. After 4 full houses, EZ  my  crew  who  has  always
            “When I saw materials start  never  visited  Disney  Land,  which  ultimately  won  for  Party  Solutions,  along  with  gone all out to make things
            to  come  in  the  house,  he  but was really hoping to go  best show that year.       dance group Kids & Youth  happen.”q
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