SDC employees celebrate 45, 50 years of service in the park

STONE COUNTY, Mo. — Silver Dollar City is celebrating the dedication of its longtime employees, including one employee who has worked with the organization for 45 years.

Terry Wayne Sanders works as an image character in the park. He performs as five different characters throughout the day during the summers. He is a familiar face for many who have worked as a character and those visiting the park.

Three employees celebrated 50 years with Silver Dollar City this year. Butch Gregory and Larry Sledge are members of the Horsecreek Band, and Joleen Holt works in the costume shop helping create the outfits you see in the theme park.

Sanders received a handcrafted stagecoach to commemorate his 45 years with the park. Gregory and Sledge received framed golden records, and Holt received a handcrafted quilt.

During Sanders’ 45 years with SDC, he has met a lot of guests. He said he enjoys making them smile and helping however he can, which is often with directions in person and through sidewalk arrows which he hand paints.

Sanders says it’s an honor to work for a place he loves for this many years.

“My first time at Silver Dollar was in 1965. I was five years old, my grandpa Lee Sanders brought me here,” Sanders said. “And right then when I walked into the park I knew this was where I wanted to be.”

Sanders said even at 65 years old he doesn’t have plans to retire and hopes to continue making people smile for years to come.

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