SCS sees Hercules-strong turnout for Sorbo appearance

Oct. 22—Not many people would be willing to call Hercules, the famously strong hero of ancient mythology, a fool — but Kevin Sorbo is okay with it.

In fact, in his message to the crowd at Somerset Christian School on Thursday night, he urged those present to not be afraid to speak out about their beliefs and their faith in God, even if some may think it makes them look foolish — instead, be fools for Christ, he advised.

Sorbo, the star of the 1990s TV hit "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and more recent faith-based films like "God's Not Dead" was the speaker at this year's Correll Leadership Banquet, the key scholarship fundraiser for the private Christian school.

It was the first time the event had been held since 2019, due to COVID; however, the series which started in 2012 carried on its tradition of bringing in big-name guest speakers, such as First Lady Laura Bush, Dr. Ben Carson, football star Terry Bradshaw, and most recently, actor Kirk Cameron.

"I think went overwhelmingly well," said Dr. Ron Gleaves, Somerset Christian School Principal, noting that this was his first Correll Leadership event. "We had a great turnout, I would say just shy of 400 people. It was the first time we had the silent auction; that went over very well."

Gleaves wasn't able to say yet how much was raised for scholarships to the school, but said he feels "very good" about the amount.

He also noted that Sorbo was very engaging, down-to-earth and easy to talk to, despite his celebrity status — he recalled driving with Sorbo back to Lexington to fly out after the event; "I wondered what we were going to talk about — I was going to be in the car with him for an hour and a half — but there were hardly any moments (were conversation lagged)."

Sorbo played Hercules on television from 1995 to 1999, in a series that was tied to another pop culture favorite, "Xena: Warrior Princess." The Minnesota native has also modeled, authored books, and appeared in a number of other films ("Kull the Conqueror" "Soul Surfer"), television series ("Andromeda," "Key & Peele," "Supergirl"), and video games (such as the "Skylander" series).

He also fits the mold of the typical Somerset Christian School speaker, as Sorbo is a noted celebrity Christian. Much of his recent work has been faith-based, including the films "God's Not Dead" and "Let There Be Light."

Sorbo's address talked about his own career, the strokes he suffered while filming the "Hercules" series, and his experiences with faith. He also touched on issues of culture and the political climate, denouncing elements of the entertainment industry that are hostile to Christians — he specifically recalled being told by own industry figure that there were two many references to Jesus Christ in a movie, but adding curse words would be okay.

Sorbo also hung around afterward to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures in the lobby of Somerset Christian School, and speak with the Commonwealth Journal.

"I'm all for Christian education, and any school that supports that and is bold enough to put it out there in today's world," he said. "I love coming and making appearances at places that are doing the right thing."

The fact that his career has continued for so long now has Sorbo feeling "very blessed," as is the fact that so many fans continue to respond to him and his work.

"Without 'Hercules', I wouldn't the career I have and all the things I've done since," he said. "The show was massive. It's still shown in 60 countries, which is amazing. So I'm still plugging along."

Referencing the message of his address, Sorbo said it's difficult to be open as a Christian in Hollywood, and most people aren't brave enough to do so.

"Any movie I do, I always get at least one actor come up to me and say, 'I really want to thank you for being a voice,' and I go, 'Why don't you be a voice for yourself?'" he said. "People are afraid. As I mentioned in there earlier, fear is an amazing weapon, and governments at every level use fear to control our lives. People have got to stop letting governments control their lives.

"What is happening in this country now is exactly why we had the revolution back against the Brits," he added. "And then here we are, up against the same tyrannical government that we wanted to get away from in Britain. So we've got to wake up or we'll lose the country."

Sorbo was impressed with Somerset, even in the brief time he spent there.

"It was great," he said of his experience here. "The people are fantastic. I had a good time."

And while Sorbo was a popular guest speaker, the night was about more than him.

"We really wanted to connect (the event) to our history," he said. "Where we come from, I think it's very important for us to remember that. We had two parents share, one a former parents who had three kids graduate from here and talked about what (the school) meant to them, and then Chris Girdler, (President and CEO of) SPEDA, has two children here and shared (his perspective). So we wre able to connect to to the Correll family, Ward Correll, and all those who have been very supportive. There are many, many people who have been so very supportive of our school through the years, and we're very excited to go forward.

"We've got a lot of people in this community who are very passionate about Somerset Christian School," added Gleaves, "so we're very blessed, very honored that they would consider us as they do."