This year’s theme is “Cheers to 75 Years!” It’s a fitting tribute to both the Village of Versailles and the long-running Poultry Days festival. Just like the famous theme song from Cheers says, “Where everybody knows your name,” Versailles offers a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere for lifelong residents and first-time visitors alike. The theme is also tied to a lesser-known story with direct connections to Versailles, the Cheers sitcom, and the late George Wendt, who played the lovable Norm.
In 1983, George—known to many as “Norm”—visited the festival and was a festival VIP. Along the way, he made many friends. From the moment he was picked up at the airport by then festival Vice-Chairman Randy Garrison, it was clear he was going to do more than simply ride in the parade. Randy fondly recalls greeting George at the Dayton Airport: “He walked up to the Cadillac limousine holding a 12-pack of beer—he came ready for a good time.” George served as a judge for the Miss Chick Pageant and interviewed dozens of young women from Arcanum to St. Henry before Linda Brazill of Bradford was selected as the 1983 Miss Chick. He also took time to visit local establishments, meet residents of Versailles and leave a memorable piece of advice for one five-year-old fan: “Don’t hang out in bars.” His appearance became part of festival history, but the story actually began a year earlier.
When Cheers debuted in 1982, it struggled in the ratings and was nearly canceled after its first season. Versailles High School students, upset by the news, voiced their concerns to counselor Don Wick. His response—“Instead of complaining… let’s do something about it”—sparked a grassroots movement. The 1983 senior class formed the Committee to Support Cheers, selling $1 memberships and homemade buttons. Their enthusiasm spread quickly, and soon letters of support were arriving from across the country. Tens of thousands of calls and letters reached the network, national media took notice, and Don Wick was even interviewed live on a California radio station. The campaign helped push NBC to renew the show, which went on to run for eleven seasons, earn critical acclaim, and become one of the most celebrated sitcoms of all time. Today it lives on in reruns more than 30 years later.
Following that 1982 letter-writing campaign, George Wendt appeared at the 1983 Versailles Poultry Days festival. It is said that he made a point of coming to Versailles out of appreciation for the support the show received. In the second season of Cheers, the locally famous chalkboard message “Go Tigers” appeared. There are several theories about this message, but local legend holds that it was a quiet tribute to Don Wick and the Versailles students who helped save the show.
Whether every detail is fact or folklore, it remains a story we like to believe—one that reminds us that small communities can make a difference and that the world is not too big for kindness, community, and connection to be recognized and remembered. The 75th Annual Versailles Poultry Days festival will be held June 12-14. For more information, visit VersaillesPoultryDays.com.
