“Slinkey the Clown” is 80 years old and still tying balloons shaped as animals in his home for whoever wants them.
“This is something I still love to do,” Ja Link Ka Fountain said, a.k.a “Slinkey the Clown”. “I’d rather be clowning than golfing.”
Fountain has served as one of the local Pullman clowns since he earned his clown degree back in 1999 from the Pullman Senior Center, one of 16 clowns who graduated with him. Fountain was first told about the clown classes through a club called Toastmasters, an organization dedicated to members serving their communities.
“It was just a fluke,” Fountain said. “It sounded fun”.
“Slinkey the Clown” was born as Donald Warren in Pullman, 1936, and has lived here his whole life. He attended Pullman schooling and graduated from Pullman High School in 1955. Three days after graduating high school, Warren worked as a painter for Washington State University facilities for 27 years up until 1982.
Warren was also a married man with two children. His wife died in 1985.
After the death of his wife, Warren naturally went through some difficult times, but found spirituality as a way to navigate him through the rest of his life. In 1992, Warren legally changed his name to Ja Link Ka Fountain, which translates into cosmic genius. Fountain credits this new frame of mind to his clown success.
“I live in the moment and am very spontaneous,” Fountain said.
With a new-found name and identity, Fountain became an instant hit as a clown after graduating clown school. “Slinkey the Clown” has performed all over the country throughout his years as a certified clown, ranging from cities like Manhattan to Cabos San Lucas in Mexico.
Fountain recalls one of his more memorable and laughable experiences during one of his first performances in the Lewiston Roundup Parade in Idaho.
“I was playing with a slinkey and I tripped walking across the street to the other side and my left-hand lands in horse manure,” Fountain said. “I smell my hand and say, ‘this hand smells like money’; no one would give me a high-five.”
One of “Slinkey the Clowns” best traits include adapting to what happens around him and playing it off in a funny way.
“You can change the whole persona of the room,” Fountain said. “What people think of me is none of my business.”
Fountain attributes Red Skeleton as his biggest role model.
“He’s funny and does weird things, I attempted to portray him,” Fountain said. “He’s very spiritual and does a lot of different routines and characters.”
One of Fountain’s best friends is Steve Bell, the Senior Program Coordinator for the City of Pullman. They have known each other since Bell started working for the city back in 2008.
“He is available for any special event and really goes all out to entertain anybody,” Bell said. “Every holiday he has a different costume on; he’s an asset to us.”
Another friend of Fountain’s who knows all about his performances is the Executive Director of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce, Marie Dymkoski. She has known Fountain for since 2007.
“I am so pleased with the way he’s made himself available for community events,” Dymkoski said. “The makeup is just an added feature; some people think he’s weird because he’s a clown but he’s just a really genuine person.”
“Slinkey the Clown” has many props for his performances. He mainly blows up balloons of different types of animals and gives out stickers with witty messages. Fountain owns 16 costumes and three pairs of clown shoes. Of those costumes, he has ones for different holidays and themes including Independence Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween and Christmas.
Regarding the future of “Slinkey the Clown”, Fountain pledges that no end is in sight.
“I want do this as long as I can.”
Simple words from a simple man, all Fountain wants to do is bring joy to the community and he has already done that and more.
Sources:
- Ja Link Ka Fountain, clown- (509) 332-1435
- Steve Bell, Senior Program Coordinator for City of Pullman- (509) 338-3307
- Marie Dymkoski, Executive Director of Pullman Chamber of Commerce- (509) 334-3565
I sent you some photos of his place, I also have B-roll footage I can show you in class. I tried to attach it on here but it says my videos contained too much data.
Tyler Shuey 