BonaResponds is a group run at St. Bonaventure University that sends students and faculty to an area that has been devastated to provide help. A student-run talent show will raise money to help BonaResponds provide relief for the Bahamas after a recent hurricane. On Tuesday, “Bona’s Got Talent” will be held in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Giles Bootheway, lecturer of finance; Michael Jones-Kelley, lecturer in the Jandoli School of Communication; and Dr. Tracy Schrems, assistant professor of education, will be the three judges deciding the three winners of the talent show. Fifteen acts are signed up for the show: 14 students and one faculty member will be displaying their talents.
The show is also a project for the Events and Sponsorship Marketing class, taught by Kristen Ryan, marketing lecturer in the School of Business. Events done for this project in previous years have included a color run and beer tasting.
Kelly DeGrood, a junior marketing major, explained that, as always, the show’s production was started by a $500 donation from James Mahar, associate professor and finance coordinator of BonaResponds, to the class. Extra money was given back to BonaResponds.
DeGrood said she hopes to “raise enough – as much as we can – to help out BonaResponds” and “give students an opportunity to do something fun on campus and showcase talents in a way they might not get another opportunity to again.”
Money raised from Bona’s Got Talent goes to BonaResponds to reduce the cost of students going to the Bahamas to provide relief from the destruction of a hurricane.
Amber Peralta, a junior marketing major, was in charge of sponsorship and sent out letters to companies requesting donations. Don Tequila, Fusion, Rohrbach Brewing Company, Holiday Valley Resort, St. Bonaventure Bookstore and Sports Locker are also sponsoring the event.
Twenty-five raffle baskets that contain prizes to win such as gift certificates to sponsoring companies can be found at the show. The baskets will also be outside the Sandra A. and William L. Richter Center before and during the basketball game on today and outside the bookstore on Monday. The proceeds from this basket raffle will also go to BonaResponds, and if any winners of a raffle do not attend the show, they will be contacted to receive their prizes.
Tickets cost $5 and all proceeds are donated to BonaResponds. For 24 hours starting Thursday at noon, videos of the acts will be shown with an option to donate $1. This donation will count as a vote towards the fan-favorite talent. Footage of the acts will still be available for viewing after this time.
By John Ancillotti
ancilljm19@bonaventure.edu
