On Friday, December 17th, juniors Emily McElreavey, Tyler Houp, and Molly Smeins ran a talent show in the East High School auditorium. This DECA fundraiser not only showcased the talents of many East Vikings, but also raised money for a local mental health organization. Emily, Tyler, and Molly have raised over $800 on their GoFundMe for Minding Your Mind (https://www.gofundme.com/f/deca-fundraiser-for-minding-your-mind?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer). Based in Rosemont, PA, Minding Your Mind’s goal is to provide education that will help to destigmatize mental health. Check out the organization’s website for more information: https://mindingyourmind.org/about/
Participation in the talent show required a $10 donation to the organization. Tickets were $3 for East students and $5 for other attendees. Additionally, food, drinks, and raffle tickets were sold in the auditorium lobby.
Around 6:30, the show began with an introduction by Emily, Tyler, and Molly. Junior Naomi Virtue did an incredible job announcing the acts!
To kick off the talent, East’s dance team gave an amazing performance. Then, the acts began with Maddie Barbezat, who sang a beautiful cover of “Maybe This Time” from the musical Cabaret. Vanessa Levins followed, impressing the audience with her
baton twirling. Devika Nair performed “Death By a Thousand Cuts” by Taylor Swift with her guitar and gorgeous singing voice.
Next, Three Mile Island - a talented band of guitar players Ryan Dow, Matt Niemeyer, and Gabe Salloum and lead singer Ellie Blanck - performed an original song called “I Wouldn’t Know.”
Isha Shivara Makrishnani wowed the audience with her cover of “Skinny Love” by Birdy. Brady Foytack and Steven Vitale gave a very entertaining performance of the dance from Napoleon Dynamite.
John Fosbenner put everyone into the holiday spirit with his excellent performance of “Last Christmas” by Wham. Elizabeth Matthews and Emily Humphreys continued the holiday excitement with a phenomenal duet of “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me” by Ariana Grande and Kelly Clarkson.
Wilnie-Rose Papillon amazed the crowd with her spectacular performance of Spirit by Beyoncé. Ava Felsenfeld impressively solved four Rubix cubes, which were scrambled by Anshi Bhatnagar and Akshita Ananda, in under one minute! And finally, the acts concluded with a showstopping performance: Joel Falkenstein played the guitar as Jacob Samuel sang “Grenade” by Bruno Mars.
Before the winners were announced, Emily, Tyler, and Molly selected the winners of the raffle baskets. Businesses such as Target, Wawa, and Cookies By Katie generously donated items to raffle off and raise money for Minding Your Mind!
East teachers Mr. Swigett and Mr. Rupert were the guest judges of the talent show. After a drumroll from the audience, Mr. Swigett announced the winner: Three Mile Island! The band received a $50 gift card.
Congratulations to Emily, Tyler, and Molly for organizing such a successful night! All of the acts did an amazing job showcasing their talents. Thank you to everyone who planned, participated in, or attended the event in support of such an amazing cause!
For more information about mental health awareness at East: @wcementalhealthawareness on Instagram
For more information about Minding Your Mind:
@mindingyourmind on Instagram and Twitter
GoFundMe, started by Emily McElreavey, Tyler Houp, and Molly Smeins: https://www.gofundme.com/f/deca-fundraiser-for-minding-your-mind?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer
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