Oh, What a Wonderful Night! Another one is in the books! On Saturday, November 2, the St. Thomas Seniors’ Centre and I hosted the second annual St. Thomas Seniors Got Talent 2 (STSGT2), presented by Nurse Next Door, to another packed house. Though it’s a one-night showcase, it took months of planning, practice, and teamwork to make the event a memorable success. And what a success it was! In early October, nearly 20 hopefuls auditioned for this year’s show. It was a challenge to narrow it down, but I believe we chose the perfect top 10. The night began with The Golden Oldies Trio — Janet Sales, Deb Vosburg, and Ruth Warren — followed by guitarist and singer Maurice Bigras. Sharon Lebert brought energy to the stage with her tap dancing. Then Gene Corless wowed the crowd with his trumpet. Steve Ogden wrapped up the first half with a spirited rendition of Harry Belafonte’s Jump in the Line . After a brief intermission, we welcomed The Pine Valley Ukes — a ukulele group featuring Merv Bruce, Carolyn Jensen, Karen Auckland, Cheryl Dawdy, Lynn McPherson, Debbie Logghe, and Karen Olmstead. Ruth Warren returned, this time performing solo on the accordion. Next, Madeline Carter graced the audience with her vocals, accompanied by pianist Susan Pounthey. Tom Martin then took the stage with La Vie En Rose , and finally, Allan Weatherall rounded out the performers with a beautiful rendition of What a Wonderful World on his flugelhorn. A special highlight, Mary Beth Braiden, last year’s winner, performed an original song dedicated to her mother. Our esteemed judges for the evening — MP Karen Vecchio, Mayor Joe Preston, and myFM’s Dave Thomson — had the difficult task of selecting the top three. They chose Tom Martin, Gene Corless, and Allan Weatherall, with Gene ultimately being named the STSGT2 winner. Read our profile on this year’s winner on pages 6 and 7. The other big winner of the night was Hospice of Elgin, the beneficiary of the event proceeds, with a donation total of $3,342. Of course, an event like this wouldn’t be possible without our sponsors. We’re grateful to presenting sponsor, Nurse
The Golden Oldies Trio
Next Door and supporters, Elgin Audiology, Royal Oak Senior Living, Briwood Farm Market, The Horton Market, Metcalfe Gardens, myFM, Port Stanley Festival Theatre, and Love Your Feet by Pam. A huge thank you to all our sponsors and performers; to everyone who auditioned, our Emcee, Mike Vecchio, our dedicated volunteers, and to all who attended. If you have a talent to share, start practicing — you could be part of St. Thomas Seniors Got Talent 3!
Sharon Lebert. Photos by Candice Van Diepen of CVD Photography.
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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • December 2024 Page 3
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