There will be plenty of clowning around in Chapters at St. Vital Centre on Nov. 24.

That’s when Kevin King — a.k.a. Floyd "The Clown" — will be holding a fundraiser for St. Amant.

St. Amant is a St. Vital-based non-profit organization that offers extensive programming and resources for individuals (and their families) living with developmental disabilities and autism.  

During the meet-and-greet event, which will run from 1 to 5 p.m., King — an educational assistant at Dakota Collegiate — will be making balloons for kids and signing and selling copies of his 2010 book Hey son! Guess what?!

"St. Amant is a much better cause than me, so I’m hoping lots of people will come out," said King, who lives in River Park South.

King’s three sons — his eldest is now 16 and he has 13-year-old twins — each inspired a character in the book, which he says delivers an important message.

"It’s a cute little ‘I love you’ type book, which I hope helps our children with self-esteem issues," he said. "It’s more for younger kids and it lets them know they’re cared for in every way. It’s a cute message."

He said his alter ego — which includes his trademark red nose, hat and oversized bow tie — is an extension of his personality.

"It lets me be who I am in a zanier way. I’m kind of an outgoing personality and Floyd lets me turn off the safety switches. When I put on the clown costume, there are mechanisms in the brain that shut down and allow me to behave in ways I wouldn’t outside of the costume."

He noted the success of his persona is enhanced and energized by the general reaction of his target audience.

"Kids are so honest. They laugh out loud and are so genuine. There’s no greater sound than hearing happy children laughing," King said.    

King has been appearing professionally as Floyd "The Clown" for the past 13 years. He performs more than 100 shows a year across the city in locations such as West Kildonan, East Kildonan, St. James and Headingley.

For more information, email kevinkingfloyd@shaw.ca.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com