All proceeds will go directly towards the AHS Choir and send them to Disneyland to perform
ATASCADERO — Atascadero Greyhounds Choir Boosters’ 4th Annual Sweethearts’ Showcase is back in person. The Sweethearts’ Showcase will take place Friday, Feb. 25, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Atascadero Kiwanis Hall.
“The fundraiser is for all of the AHS [Atascadero High School] choirs. We have three choir classes here. The proceeds will benefit all of them, and the immediate goal is to go to Disney Performing Arts in April to perform,” said AHS Choir Director Carrie Jones. “It’s a great program where students perform on stage at a Disney theme park, and then they get to spend their remainder of the day playing in the park and celebrating the year that they’ve had together.”
This year, all three of AHS’s choirs (show, advanced, and mixed) will participate in the Apr. 22 show at Disneyland. AHS will have a 20- to 30-minute time slot to perform.
“We’re going to fill those minutes with an ‘Aladdin’ medley, which we’re pretty excited about, that’s going to have singing and then some choreography,” added Jones. “We’re collaborating with Motions Academy of Dance for choreography. We also have some traditional choral songs that we’re going to sing. We’ll be doing ‘Castle in the Clouds’ from ‘Les Mis,’ and then a couple of pieces that people may not be super familiar with.”
Entry into the Sweethearts’ Showcase is $40 per person or $70 for a couple. Kids 12 and under get in for $20. Your ticket also includes dinner to go with all of the music.
“Each year, we put on a dinner for the Show Choir and provide that dinner for them, and then they get to use that as a fundraiser that helps promote their program,” said Atascadero Kiwanis President E.J. Rossi.
This year the showcase is back in person after being affected by COVID-19 and distance learning last February.
“During (2020-2021), while school was still fully online due to covid, the Kiwanis club still continued their generosity and provided all the food for a BBQ in a bag event,” Jones said. “Then, Galaxy Theater generously hosted us for the performance portion. We created our performance by having students record video and audio at home, then hiring a production company to combine all the separate recordings into one professional-quality video. Students, parents, and friends then came and watched the video on the silver screen, masked and socially distanced.
“It was hugely enjoyable, and we are grateful to Galaxy for providing two theaters free of charge so that everyone could safely watch the performance with proper social distancing in place. They brought in staff and extended their operating hours specifically for our event. The community really has come together in a big way to support our choir students. We are humbled and very grateful.”
Not only do the Kiwanis Club of Atascadero provide dinner for the fundraiser, but in a typical year, they also host the event in their Hall.
“They’re super generous and have donated the use of their facility as well as all the food, and they prepare the food for us,” Jones said. “We’re incredibly grateful for them. They have just really gone above and beyond to support our kids.”
The food provided is a good, old-fashioned Santa Maria Style BBQ, with tri-tip, salad, green beans, and garlic bread. Plus, dessert! Adults will also get two drink tickets.
This year, AHS’s Advanced Choir students will be performing both solos and duets to the theme of “The Voice.”
“We asked students to choose a song that has been performed on the TV program ‘The Voice,’ Jones said. “They had 21 seasons of music to pick from. So they’ve all picked songs from that, so [the showcase] is very broad.”
The evening also hosts a silent auction, and the Atascadero Greyhounds Choir Boosters are still seeking donations for the Sweetheart Showcase’s silent auction. If you’d like to donate a gift card, coupon, or service, please contact Alicia Borlodan at alicia.borlodan@ahsgreyhoundschoirboosters.org.
The sponsors of this year’s Sweethearts’ Showcase are Glen Casey and the Atascadero Kiwanis; the owners of Borlodan Painting Company, George and Alicia Borlodan; and Jim and Debi Saunders, owners of Saunders Vineyards & Hearst Ranch Winery Paso Robles. Support also comes from Mike and Carrie McGrath of Pro Tow in Atascadero and cupcakes are donated by Jenny Kim.
You can buy tickets to the Sweetheart Showcase with a check made payable to the Atascadero Greyhounds Choir Boosters, with cash, or to Venmo (@AHS-Choir-Boosters).
The Atascadero Greyhounds Choir Boosters are a 501c(3) nonprofit.
