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Meet the Keeper of the Bell in Pass-a-Grille
Along Pass-a-Grille Beach, at Paradise Grille, a tradition takes place every time the sun goes down. Jim LeBlanc is in charge of ringing a bell the moment the sun sets. Sometimes, he lets other beachgoers do the honor.
PASS-A-GRILLE, Fla. - A great sunset is never a guarantee when you're at the beach. But, if you're at Pass-a-Grille beach, there is one experience you'll never miss.
Every night, someone is in charge of ringing a large bell the moment the sun sets below the horizon. That person is Jim LeBlanc and his title is Head Ding Dong.
"I was assistant Head Ding Dong for a couple of years and then I was promoted," Jim stated with a laugh.
Jim said the bell at Paradise Grill must ring every night.
"I'm over 3,000 sunsets and ringing the bell," he explained.
Jim conducts a bell-ringing ceremony every evening. He usually approaches someone hanging out at the beach and asks them if they'd like to ring the sunset bell. Whoever takes on the responsibility then writes in a log their name, date, where they're from, and why they are ringing the bell.
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When filled up, the log becomes a permanent record in the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum on Pass-a-Grille.
Ringing the sunset bell has become one of the top things for tourists to do on Pass-a-Grille.
"There is a charm that goes with it. It's great to see the little kids light up and get all excited. It's kind of a neat thing," Jim said.
If you'd like to ring the bell at Pass-a-Grille, you can reach out to Jim through his Facebook page – appropriately titled "Ding Dong Sunset at Pass-a-Grille."
Sunset at Pass-a-Grille