Annual Toys for Tots Charity Ball a success

A standing-room-only crowd of more than 200 people was treated to an evening of food, singing, dance numbers, magic, and comedy at the fifth annual Toys for Tots Charity Ball.

For the second straight year, the event was held at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown.  The theater-style seating meant that everyone had a good view of the action on the dance floor.

Before the performances began, guests mingled while enjoying a variety of hors d’oeuvres and bidding on the silent-auction items that were available.  Many of those in attendance were first-timers who had heard rave reviews about the previous Charity Balls and wanted to witness this one firsthand.

Dr. Harry Glatz, a member of The Resource Center’s Board of Directors, served as the master of ceremonies for the event.  Harry is known for his feats of magic and his ability to engage a crowd, and throughout the evening he entertained the audience between the stage performances.

The event is a fund-raiser for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots drive in Chautauqua County.  Under the leadership of the Employment/Rehabilitation programs and the Individualized Services Department, TRC has coordinated the toy drive since 2000.  Last year, more than 2,500 underprivileged children received toys through the initiative.

Before the performances began, TRC’s three lead coordinators for the toy drive – Mike Volk, Heather Brown and Terri Johnson – took the stage to relay the history of Toys for Tots and thank the audience for their support.  Them it was time for action.

The first act was a dance routine to Michael Jackson’s song “Thriller.”  The performers (TRC employees Bruce Main, Corey Rasmussen, Melissa Rasmussen, Kim Scoma, Donna Trusso, Jennifer L. Volk, Mike Volk, Steve Waterson, and Michelle Williams, along with community volunteers Megan D’Angelo and Autumn Mazzone) dressed in ghoulish costumes and makeup, and they got the show off to a rousing start.

Other performers during the first half of the show included singers Kat Suruy (a TRC employee, who sang “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”) and Shannon Nixon (the winner of the 2010 Chautauqua’s Got Talent competition, who sang “Santa Baby”); the musical duo Onomatopoeia (Adam McKillip and Melanie Luciano); the father-daughter team of Mike and Jen Volk doing a dance to music by the Beatles; and Laura Cimino, the owner and operator of Guys & Dolls dance studio, who performed a routine to the song “Says Go By” by Dirty Vegas.  Laura also choreographed the “Thriller’ routine and the routine performed by Mike and Jen Volk.

The final act before intermission featured five of “TRC’s Village People” (employees Bruce Main, Mark Morton, Mike Volk, and Steve Waterson, along with community volunteer Bill Van Dyke) standing as props while a group of female TRC employees (Vicky Bardo, Cathy Ensminger, Kathy Field, Nancy Ingram, Tess Kerzner, Sherry McMeans, Tracey Mingle, Suzette Smith, and Jane Young), dressed in Lady Gaga outfits, did an elaborate dance routine to the pop diva’s song “Bad Romance”.  The culmination of the performance included cameo appearances by TRC’s Paul Cesana and Virginia Vath.

During intermission, guests enjoyed a decadent dessert spread while talking excitedly about the first half of the evening.

The second half of the evening involved magic by Harry, and he incorporated fellow TRC Board member Wayne Hotelling and Mike Felice, a member of TRC Foundation’s Board, into the act.  Kat (accompanied by vocalist April Shetland and Betsy Dahlgren on keyboards) performed “America the Beautiful”; Shannon sang “God Bless the USA”; local rock group BandHanna (TRC’s Brian Hanna and Shawn Mirchell, with band mates Scott Horton and Matt Parsons) performed; and the comedy duo The Lights of Broadway (Jeff Kresge and Jason Williams) gave the audience a glimpse of the dark side of being one of Santa’s elves.

The second half of the show also included the presentation of awards to Corey Rasmussen and the husband-wife team of Doug and Marie McSkimming (Managers of the Family Dollar stores on East Second Street and South Main Street in Jamestown) for their efforts in support of Toys for Tots each year.  Corey has been involved with the toy drive since the beginning, while the McSkimmings are the first people to set up toy-collection barrels each year and encourage their employees to take an active role in the toy drive.

Just before the final act, a video message from Mike Volk’s son Jeff, who is deployed on his third tour of duty in Iraq, was shown to the audience, as was an emotional video about Angel Flight, which brings home the bodies of U.S. servicemen and –women who die overseas.

The final act was the TRC Village People’s dance routine to a medley of hits by the disco group.  This is the third straight year the group has performed, and this year brought a surprise as several members of the audience stormed the stage to join in the obligatory body calisthenics as the dancers spelled out the name of the iconic song “YMCA”.

Major sponsors of the Charity Ball were Jamestown Pediatric Associates, the Johnson Foundation, Moore & Myott, and Support Enterprises.

The Toys for Tots drive will formally kick off in November.  TRC could not pull off the toy drive without the support of the community.  Mike, Heather and Terri invited businesses to get involved by setting up a collection barrel at their work sites, or to collect toys during holiday parties.  And, they encouraged individuals to volunteer to sort and bag toys in December.

For more information, phone 483-2344.