At their fourth annual Talent Show, the K-Kids brought the local K-Family of Service Leadership Clubs together to raise funds for Operation Smile and the new Kiwanis International Foundation (KIF) Worldwide Service Project ELIMINATE.
Operation Smile provide cleft palate surguries to restore the smiles of children throughout the world.
KIF's ELIMINATE project seeks to eliminate Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) from the 35 developing countries around the world where this disease still kills mothers and their newborn babies at the rate of one every nine minutes.
Hosted by Devon Rafanelli and Kira Gruber, the talent show treated the audience to 26 vocal, instrumental and dance performances. Performers included K-Kids and their family members, classmates from Bowling Green Elementary School, Builders Club members, GC Tech Key Club members, Key Club members and Clarke High School Key Club members.
The acts were evaluated by K-Family judges, including District Kiwanis Governor Bill Risbrook, Distinguished Past Governor Joe Corace, NY Circle K Governor Corey Oses, Rickie Santer and Paul DeSantis.
The judges selected Kaycee Lauren Dominquez, who danced to “Flaunt it” as the overall best act, Katie Raduazzo, who sang “Need Somebody to Love” as best act with a K-Kid and Gina Principato, who sang “Never Grow Up” as best act without a K-Kid.
The audience had the opportunity to select the winner of the evening's top trophy: the people's choice award. Audience members voted by placing dollars into containers marked for each act. Any act receiving more than $70 in their container was named an "outstanding performance" and will receive a trophy at a later date.
The act with the highest amount in their container received the people's choice award.
There were three "Outstanding Performances": Dancing Chix: Mia Biscardi, Danielle Kalathakis, Gabriella Posillico and Ashley Resende; Runaway: Devon Rafanelli, Natalie Baquet, Isabella Baberio, Jamie Laub, Diya Mathur and Brianna Winter and, “Unstoppable:” Mia Biscardi, Katie Heitner and Brianna Ferrara.
The audience obviously agreed with the judges choice and awarded their people's choice award to Kaycee Lauren Dominguez.
During the show, Rickie Santer presented a $500 donation to Justin and Katie Infante for their aunt Operation Smile Nurse Ellen Fernando. These funds were raised during the Walk for KPTC. The Bowling Green K-Kids are very proud to have been the club that raised the most money for the Walk. Those funds and the help of the Joey Foundation made the presentation possible.
The Talent Show was a huge success, raising nearly $2,700 to be divided between Operation Smile and the ELIMINATE project.
This article was written and submitted by Rich Santer.
