Jim Talkington has worn many hats in the Iola community through the years, from his duties as a Shelter Insurance agent, county commissioner, college trustee and high school football and basketball broadcaster.
Talkington will get to do his best Monty Hall impression Saturday evening, as part of the annual Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run For Your Life festivities.
Since the event’s inaugural running in 2009, Talkington has been at the forefront, serving as the emcee for the rapid-fire series of activities.
This year’s celebration, which kicks off at 5 p.m. on the west side of the courthouse square, will feature many of the old standards, from the Parade of Lights after sunset, the ever-popular drag race, and of course the 10K and 5K runs and the 3K walk, all which start after midnight.
The 2016 rendition, meanwhile, has added “Let’s Make a Deal,” an activity fashioned after the popular game show.
Crowd members will be chosen at random. Say, for example, somebody wearing a bobby pin or holding a paper clip may be asked up on stage.
From there, contestants will be offered a series of deals, usually concealed by envelopes, for the hopes of winning a prize or getting saddled with a “zonk,” a worthless trinket or two.
The grand prize will be a chauffeured ride in a 1947 Chevrolet Bel Aire through some of Iola’s hot spots, such as Riverside Park or Allen County Regional Hospital — yes, the entire event refuses to take itself too seriously — before dining at the Inn Club and settling in for a movie at Sterling Six Cinemas.
It will be Talkington’s job to encourage participants to choose wisely.
“It should be a lot of fun,” he said.
TALKINGTON’S involvement came in 2009 from a request from David Toland, executive director of Thrive Allen County. Thrive co-sponsors the Melvin run with Allen County Crime Stoppers.
“David, bless his heart, tries to be so organized,” Talkington recalled. “So he hands me this schedule of events, and the precise moment they’re supposed to start.”
Talkington gave the list a once-over, and then discarded it.
“The event pretty much runs itself by now,” he said with a laugh. “I’m just along for the ride.”
There’s an ancillary benefit, Talkington admits. By emceeing the activities — particularly the drag race, in which Iola’s respected gentlemen don women’s clothing of yesteryear for a relay race — Talkington has yet be asked to wear a dress.
