An energetic crowd gathered in Peabody's Friedberg Hall on Monday night for the second annual Hopkins' Got Talent, a fundraiser to benefit the JHU United Way campaign. The show featured seven acts from across the university, each challenged to raise $500 leading up to the event in support of a personal cause. Their collective fundraising, combined with the sale of tickets, brought in nearly $6,000 for the campaign. Formithia Hurte of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences raised the most money for her charity, the Arts Project, and took home a $500 prize for her efforts.
The performances included a lively musical group from the School of Nursing, a spirited dancer from the School of Medicine, beautiful singers from Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Treasurer's Office, and a piece of original music for the saxophone with electronics. The winning act, Eve Carlson and Greg Burks of University Administration–HR, ended the show by singing a heartfelt rendition of "Shallow" from the movie A Star Is Born. Carlson and Burks raised funds for the Chase Brexton LGBT Health Resource Center and, as the competition's winner, took home $500, which they will donate to the Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund.
Amanda Gatewood, last year's winner, wowed the audience with an electrifying routine on her gymnast wheel and served as one of this year's judges. She and her fellow judges, Franklyn Baker, president and CEO of United Way of Central Maryland, and Paul Jacobus, facilities services coordinator and Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund chair, narrowed the seven acts to three finalists, a process that they reported was very difficult. The finalists—singer/guitar player Riaz Qureshi from the Bloomberg School, saxophonist Jessica Keyes from the Sheridan Libraries, and Carlson and Burks—then waited eagerly as the audience used a text-to-vote system to determine the winner.
The two $500 prizes were generously donated by Patricia Davidson, School of Nursing dean and chair of the JHU United Way campaign.
With funds from the event counted, JHU has to date raised $363,000 toward its goal of $530,000. The campaign ends Dec. 21.
Posted in Happenings
