When I was a little kid, my mom had to break it to me that Danny Tanner, Jesse Katsopolis, and Joey Gladstone were not really raising the three Tanner girls and that they certainly did not live in that beautiful San Francisco home together. The truth completely shocked me. To my younger self, Full House was not a scripted show – it was a show that followed a real family as they navigated working together and growing up. After confusion and mild heartbreak, I eventually started to come around to the idea that in order to craft a show I wanted to watch every day after school, the behind the scenes effort must be as interesting as the show itself. That sparked my curiosity to learn about how people dedicated their time and skills to create meaningful media.
This morning, as I sat in the lobby of the KCHK Radio station in New Prague, I was reminded of how exciting it can be to see what goes on behind the scenes of beloved shows. As hosts Tom and Tom were wishing happy birthday and happy anniversary to members of their audience, I was observing all of the KCHK Radio memorabilia hanging on their walls. From buttons, to photos, and newspaper clippings, they have a wonderful record of their accomplishments throughout the years. Seeing that, hearing the hosts over the radio, and watching their staff work, the effort they have put in to develop a classic radio show was tangible.
Soon, I entered the radio booth to get set up with a microphone before starting Ney’s monthly check in segment. This room always amazes me. The interview table is surrounded by additional KCHK memorabilia, but the focal point is the radio mixing console. It’s this board with several buttons, lights, and levers that are all a mystery to me. Tom Goetzinger, though, navigates this board with ease and obvious expertise. Getting to explore the station behind the scenes reminded me that similarly to the Full House cast and crew, there are people achieving high standards to create the relaxed and lighthearted media we love.
I was grateful that Tom gave me time to talk about Ney’s behind the scenes folks that make many of our projects successful. Across the month of March, school groups, volunteer groups, and community members came together to log almost 200 volunteer hours. One of our main volunteer focuses last month was collecting the sap needed to make Maple Syrup. It was rewarding to see our volunteers expand their love of Maple Syrup by experiencing the work that goes on before twisting open a finished bottle of pure syrup.
If you’re feeling inspired to participate behind the scenes, I unfortunately cannot introduce you to the cast of Full House, but I can invite you to volunteer at our upcoming free community event. Tree Jamboree, held on Saturday, April 25th, is an Earth day celebration for all ages. Our volunteers make the event possible by leading exciting crafts and tree themed activities. Click here to sign up to volunteer and experience what it’s like to work behind the scenes to create an enjoyable event.
