NEWTON, Iowa — Terry Sallis has hosted a carnival in the park in Newton for nine years, and on Saturday, it will be the first time he doesn't have his wife by his side.
Karen Sallis passed away February 5th, leaving Terry and his kids behind.
Terry operates Integrated Treatment Services (ITS) in Newton, with a team — including his youngest son Terris — which provides outpatient evaluation and treatment programs.
ITS and the Sallis' are very well known around Newton for their warm personality and their carnival in the park.
Terry and Karen came up with the idea a decade ago, in hopes of providing less-fortunate families with a fun day full of free food, school supplies toys and interactions with others in the community.
"My wife and I we had discussed this year what we could do to help these dear kids," he explained. "She said, 'Well we don't have the resources to do a state fair,' she said, 'But maybe we could try and do a local carnival for them.'"
With Saturday's carnival just around the corner, Terry continues to prepare for the event with donations coming in from other businesses, as his event now serves as a nonprofit organization for the first time this year.
But Terry's journey to get here wasn't the smoothest. In fact, he says this event is a "second chance."
Terry spent 12 years in prison after struggling with drugs and gang life at a young age.
While in prison, he was separated from his family. And Terris said he doesn't remember anything of his father from before he turned 8 years old.
"I had to learn to forgive him, because I was angry for a long time," Terris explained.
But Terry didn't let his life in prison define him. He told Local 5 that his wife Karen told him he was "book smart" enough to still go back to school and have a second chance in life.
After getting out of prison in 2002, Terry went to DMACC and received his associate's degree. Then in 2004, he received his drug counseling certification.
After that, he continued his academic comeback and got his bachelor's degree in human services from Grand View University. And Terry wasn't done yet.
He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Iowa with a master's degree, and also received the President's Award for Academic Excellence.
His ITS office is filled with awards, and not just Terry's academic ones. Since becoming a counselor, Terry's received numerous awards for his work in the field and the community.
Terry will host his tenth annual carnival in the park this weekend in Newton at Aurora Heights Park. The event begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. For more information, visit their website here.