Third graders at Tonda Elementary School dressed in character Wednesday and performed short speeches about historic people. The project, which could be compared to a living wax museum, drew one real-life legend: Gordie Howe. Howe visited for two reasons: He came to see his son Murray Howe's nephew, Connor Moore, portray Ludwig van Beethoven. He also came face-to-face with Joey Tavian, who chose to portray the Detroit Red Wings' iconic No. 9.

Canton Patch arrived just as Howe was leaving but he kindly agreed to pose with his pup, Rocket. Revisit this page for more photos and video.