By Peter Barhydt
If you were anywhere near the Country Club of New Canaan on April 24 or 25, you might have heard the sound of grown men in costume belting out show tunes about ambulance radios and kindergarten lesson plans. That’s how the Gridiron Club celebrates service in New Canaan—with a roast, a musical, and a room full of neighbors laughing not at someone, but for them.
This year’s honoree, or “Fall Gal,” was Wendy Coleman Dixon Hilboldt, whose name is synonymous in town with decades of tireless volunteerism, warm-hearted teaching, and near-legendary dedication to the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
“I just felt like a representative,” Wendy said. “Which is why I had all of the Ambulance Corps stand up.”
Wendy’s ties to Gridiron go back generations. Her father, Harry Coleman, was one of the Club’s original stars. “I would be in high school, the hallways of New Canaan High School, and the Advertiser would come out, and there would be my father in drag with a wig on on the front page,” she remembered. “And I wanted to crawl under a desk.”
Even then, she understood what Gridiron was about: community, spirit, and celebration. It wasn’t long before she joined in. “Thirty years ago, they asked me if I would sing a solo as a Columbia student,” she said. “And they asked my daughter, Emily, who was 11 at the time, to play me.”
This year, the spotlight was hers alone—but not a spotlight she sought. “I don’t want to be special. I don’t want to be picked out of a crowd. Just let me jump into my toy tent this week like I’m doing. Just be me again.”
The show, like always, was built in secret. Eric Thunem, producer and director, described the process: “We interviewed, I think, 40 or 45 people. And we tell everybody, ‘Look, this is an honor, but it’s also a roast,’ so we’re looking for funny little things, quirky little things about Wendy.”
The show portrayed Wendy’s radio—never far from her hand—and her lifelong sense of urgency to help. “I was blessed with a lot of energy,” she said. “From early on, a purpose. I couldn’t just sit idle. I can’t just sit idle. One thing I do do—I enjoy a really good long book. I can sit forever and read a book.”
Bob Doran, who has served as emcee for 20 years, said: “It’s not just a show. It’s meant as a love letter to New Canaan volunteers. We laugh about it, but we really try to reflect on what really matters. Neighbors who care, who step up, and who make New Canaan the place we’re proud to call home.”
Wendy was especially proud of the tribute to her late husband. “They did such a beautiful job recognizing my late husband, Eddie. I thought it was so beautiful, so tastefully done. I sent the link to his sisters, and they were just so touched. And it was wonderful for my daughter to see that too.”
The proceeds from this year’s show—expected to fall between $5,000 and $10,000—will benefit the New Canaan High School Scholarship Foundation, a cause dear to Wendy and her late father. “I feel pretty confident about being able to make a $5,000 to $10,000 donation,” said Thunem. “Certainly, hope we will.”
Wendy’s resume is deep: 46 years with the Volunteer Ambulance Corps, a career in education, leadership in launching the food pantry, and countless hours tutoring, driving, organizing, and—always—teaching. “I love children. I love, love children, and that’s hands-on,” she said. “Right now, I oversee Driver training for NCEMS and love orienting the newer drivers to all parts of New Canaan.”
She’s lived her whole life in New Canaan. “I came back after college to teach,” Wendy said. “I’ve gone to ladies’ night with my mother every single year with my dearest friends. We have a table. We always put the table together.”
“Ladies’ night” was historically the final Thursday dress rehearsal of the Gridiron show — a long-standing tradition where the women of town gather in full force to cheer, laugh, and celebrate the honoree. For Wendy, it’s always been a special night to share with her mother, her closest friends, and her memories. “Even if we don’t know the person well, we just go and laugh and watch our husbands,” she said. “My husband, Jim, was in it for many years.”
At the end of the recent Thursday evening, Wendy stood at the mic and gave her thanks — composed, concise, heartfelt. “I didn’t want to be too long, I wanted to be concise, and I didn’t want to cry,” she said. “I’m a very emotional person, so I was really excited I got through Thursday night without crying.”
But Friday was different. After that night’s performance she said, “I was great until I got to the church on Friday night. And then I started talking about how deeply the church has been a part of my life for almost 70 years, and I lost it.”
St. Mark’s Church isn’t just a building to Wendy — it’s a second home. She and her family have been longtime members there. She’s worked the May Fair for more than four decades. She grew up in the pews and raised her children under its roof.
Even now, days later, Wendy is still reflecting on what it meant to be honored. “It was so humbling and such an honor,” she said. “I still can’t believe it.”
Members of the Gridiron will take a well-deserved respite this summer. Once September arrives, they will be busy at work planning another fun and entertaining weekend celebrating community and next year’s Fall Guy or Gal.
