Theodore Roosevelt Impersonator, actor and historian Joe Wiegand had a laugh with the Roosevelt statue at Fount Rushmore at Fountain Park after presenting a lecture at the Community Church of the Verdes last week.

“I discovered the presidential statues in Fountain Hills years ago when I came to entertain the Fountain Hills Rotary Club, and I fell in love with your Theodore Roosevelt statue,” Wiegand said, who has performed as Theodore Roosevelt in all 50 states and at the White House for TR’s 150th birthday.

“I was in Rio Verde for a performance and stopped by the statue and those of the five other presidents, and I realized, with my cowboy hat, people were laughing and jumping with surprise as they passed by,” he said.

Wiegand hopes to return to Fountain Hills with some of his friends who portray others of the assembled presidents of Mt. Rushmore and two others – Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.

“The people of Fountain Hills are to be commended for their commitment to public art and patriotism,” Wiegand said.

Wiegand is a political science graduate of The University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. He worked in public policy and ran election campaigns when he began performing as Theodore Roosevelt in 2002.

Wiegand currently works for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation and his performance tour is highlighted in the summer by a daily matinee in Medora N.D., the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Information about Wiegand and his public performance schedule can be found at teddyrooseveltshow.com.