The J’s largest fundraiser provides scholarships, vital programs
By Ruth Baum Bigus
Special to The Chronicle
The finals of KC SuperStar, Kansas City’s premiere high school singing competition, is happening but like a lot of events in 2020, it’s now taking place in the virtual world.
In the past KC SuperStar, the Jewish Community Center’s (The J) major fundraiser, was a live in-person evening of entertainment. Due to the pandemic the annual musical competition had to switch gears. Typically, the Top 10 finalists perform before a sell-out crowd. This year the event is able to maintain the glitz and glamour while the finalists performed their individual songs in a professional recording studio in preparation for the event’s broadcast that will premiere online at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. The evening will also include group numbers that were masterfully engineered with safety measures in place.
The public is invited to “attend” the KC SuperStar Finals for free using any electronic device and enjoy watching these talented young singers giving it their all. Details can be found at kcsuperstar.org; check out the Facebook page as well at https://www.facebook.com/groups/kcsuperstar/.
Despite the limitations the pandemic has placed on all of us, The J’s leadership, including KC SuperStar Chairs Michael and Beth Liss, determined it was important to continue KC SuperStar and allow these gifted high school singers a venue to perform, albeit a bit differently than past years.
For example they decided since the event is online, they would make it free to everyone.
“We know many people are having a hard time right now and we thought this might be a nice distraction for them,” Michael Liss said. “This is a way for us to bring some joy to the community because people like watching shows like this. These kids are talented.”
Besides reaching out to the community in a very difficult time, Liss said it’s harder to ask people for money when it’s estimated more than 11 million people are out of work because of this horrible pandemic. In addition, the costs of the production decreased when it became an online event.
“We believe we’ll still raise what we were targeting to raise to help with scholarships and to help subsidize programs at The J,” Liss said, “So we didn’t feel like we needed to charge to hit that same level of proceeds to support programs at The J.”
When the books are closed on this, the 11th year for KC SuperStar, The J’s President and CEO Jim Sluyter expects the fundraiser will have grossed about $8 million for The J. More than $5.6 million of that is net. Sluyter said they felt now, more than ever, it was important to proceed with KC SuperStar “because of the direct impact Covid-19 is having on our families, the community and The J’s ability to continue to carry out vital programs.”
KC SuperStar helps fund programming at The J including scholarships for its Child Development Center as well as para support, transportation and meals for seniors, and the Rock Steady program to help those with Parkinson’s disease. Sluyter stressed that a significant portion of the proceeds go toward providing financial assistance for families needing assistance to participate in The J’s many resources and vital programs.
“With millions of Americans unemployed, the number of families unable to participate in our programming due to financial constraints is expected to rise significantly and it is important that during times such as these that we help meet the needs of those families,” Sluyter said.
In addition Liss added, “One of the things proceeds from KC SuperStar will go to this year will be the newly developed Staff & Sustainability Fund, which helps keep J staff employed during the COVID-19 closure.”
Participants began their singing journey back in March-prior to the COVID-19 pandemic when live auditions took place at The J. Singers came from across the metro region to audition before a four-judge panel that ultimately chose 23 semifinalists. Due to the pandemic, in-person Semifinals couldn’t take place in June, but The J was creative in hosting a virtual live-streamed event. A panel of judges — professionals in the entertainment industry — tuned in and narrowed the group to nine with the public choosing the 10th finalist.
The Top 10 who will be featured on Oct. 18 include:
Lucy Brock, Shawnee Mission East, Graduated Senior
Sydney Edie, Blue Springs High School, Graduated Senior
Annie Harsch*, Summit Christian Academy, Senior
Aniya Henson*, Fort Osage, Senior
Darcie Hingula, St. Teresa’s Academy, Senior
Bryson Kendall, Desoto High School, Graduated Senior
Emma Mathieson**, Shawnee Mission West, Graduated Senior
Alexa Morgan**, Shawnee Mission South, Graduated Senior
Kloe Wagner, Olathe North, Senior
Elaine Watson, Lee’s Summit North, Senior
(NOTE: *Past Semifinalist; **Past Finalist)
A three-judge panel of entertainment professionals — Broadway performer Eric Huffman, vocalist Millie Edwards Cunningham and commercial music artist Lindsey Jones — watched the actual finalists perform via Zoom, making their decisions. The vote by donors on Oct. 18 will choose the ultimate winner and the three additional spots. The KC SuperStar top prize of the Edward and Ellen Rose $10,000 Scholarship will go to first place; scholarships are also awarded for second place — $5,000; third place — $2,500; and fourth place — $1,000. All the other finalists each receive $500 scholarships.
Liss, who along with his wife served as co-chairs last year when Bill and Doris Mendel served as chairs, is “bummed that we can’t do this live and in person” this year.
“As we’ve said, it is important to do this, regardless of whether we did it in person or over the internet,” he said. “It’s important to The J because it’s our most important fundraising program. I think it’s also important that we try to have as many things be as normal as possible in the community so that when this horrible pandemic ends we can do our best to rebuild or to continue what we had before.”
For more information about KC SuperStar, visit kcsuperstar.org; check out the Facebook page as well at facebook.com/groups/kcsuperstar/.
Ruth Baum Bigus handles public relations for KC SuperStar. Barbara Bayer contributed to this story.