Community: Singing contest benefits learning program
A talent contest for youth held at the end of this month will help raise funds for the Burbank YMCA’s summer education program.
Charissa Wheeler, director/owner of piano and voice school the Music Junction, is partnering with the Burbank Noon Kiwanis Club to produce “Burbank Singing Star,” a talent competition where children ages 4 to 12 will be evaluated by celebrity judges.
Deadline for entries is 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Contestants can enter a 30-second recording of themselves singing a favorite song and upload it to the official submission page at indi.com/themusicjunction/burbanksingingstar. Contestants can share their submissions across social media platforms for a chance to win the Most Buzz Award, which includes an automatic entry into the semifinals.
Semifinalists will be announced in mid-September and will be called in for a live audition. The finals will be at 6 p.m. on Sept. 30 in the Castaway Starlight Room. A two-hour reception prior to the event will include activity stations for children and live music, as well as food and drink options.
The grand prize package will include a piano keyboard from Keyboard Concepts, a recording studio session and song-writing coaching at the Music Junction and $100 cash from the Kiwanis Club of Burbank.
For audition information, visit indi.com/themusicjunction.
Tickets for the finals at the Castaway, which are $20 adults and $13 for children, can be reserved by visiting burbankstar.afrogs.org.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Burbank YMCA’s Learn, Grow, Thrive program, which provides summer reading and enrichment opportunities for first- and second-graders from low-income families.
Wheeler, a member of the Burbank Kiwanis Club, had been talking to YMCA officials about producing music programs there and came up with the idea for the singing competition as part of her Kiwanis membership commitment.
“This project is a way for me to contribute to the goals of the Kiwanis Club, which is a service organization, and a way for me to align my strengths with the club’s vision of giving back to the community. So it’s been a really good partnership,” she said.
The Kiwanis Club meets for lunch each Wednesday at the Burbank YMCA, so Wheeler got the idea for the singing competition after YMCA officials came to a meeting to talk about the summer learning program.
Earlier this year, the Burbank Unified School District contracted with the YMCA to expand its summer day-camp experience to help close the achievement gap for low-income students struggling to reach grade-level standards.
The Learn, Grow, Thrive program offers regular day-camp experiences along with academic help that allows students to catch up before third grade, considered an important developmental benchmark for sustained academic achievement, according to the YMCA’s website BurbankYMCA.org.
Square dance class enrolling
Burbank’s mainstay square-dance organization, the Western Weavers, is enrolling students for its beginners class.
Instructed by caller Dale Hoppers, the class meets from 7:30 to 9 p.m. each Tuesday at the Magnolia Park Methodist Church, 2828 W. Magnolia Blvd. Line dancing kicks off the evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Scott Summers, of Sunland, is starting his second year with the class. Square dancing is challenging, he said, because you have to think on your feet and do what the caller tells you to do.
“It’s exciting because you don’t know what they are going to call, and you have to remember what each call is very rapidly before you have to execute it,” he said.
Hoppers has been calling and teaching square dancing and line dancing since 1982. He uses a wide range of popular music to accompany the dances. At any class, one might hear a song by Adele or Johnny Cash, followed by the Rolling Stones or the Beatles.
Open enrollment continues Sept. 20 and 27. The first night of instruction is free. Partners are not necessary and dress is casual with jeans and pants acceptable for women.
For more information, call Alice at (818) 295-6907 or email bobbidluxe@gmail.com.
Grads join for sixth annual reunion
A love of people and bringing them together inspires Gilbert Tobon to plan the annual Burbank High School/John Burroughs High School Alumni Reunion at the Castaway restaurant. The sixth annual event will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight this Saturday.
Tobon said he originally got the idea from his friend Steve Alamillo, who organized a “We Are Turning 50” party.
“It seemed to me people really enjoyed being together and shared our natural love of Burbank and the Mayberry feel of the city,” Tobon said.
But even before that, he was in charge by default of the 30-year reunion for his Burroughs High School Class of 1979. He coordinated a series of “mini reunions” before the main event.
“What I discovered first was that people couldn’t get enough of them,” he said. “The second thing I noticed, it was awkward for people when they first arrived, but once they broke the ice, then people were free to simply enjoy each other with no pretense. We hit the ground running for our 30th reunion and the account by the hotel and DJ was that it was the best reunion they had ever seen.”
Tobon has experience planning parties. For the better part of 25 years he supervised a Young Life high school youth club. They would have weekly parties.
“We would make each week as memorable as possible for the kids,” he said. “Many times, we had well over 100 kids crowding into a living room, and they would have the best time of their lives. So, for me, doing a once-a-year event is a breeze compared to doing it weekly for decades.”
Tobon gets help from the Burbank-Burroughs Alumni Assn. and his friend Dennis Sterling, who has provided lots of input and has been there from the start.
Tickets are $25 for food, dancing to a live band and socializing. For reservations, email or text Tobon at giltobon@sbcglobal.net or (661) 713-7721. Guests can pay at the door by cash, check or credit card or email Tobon for the PayPal link.
Casino night benefits youth dental clinic
Children from lower-income families benefit from the dollars high-rollers spend while attending the Casino Paradise fundraiser, to be held from 6 to 10 p.m. this Saturday at Media Studios North, 2255 N Ontario St., Burbank.
All proceeds go to maintaining the operation of the nonprofit Kids’ Community Dental Clinic that annually serves hundreds of children and families from Burbank and surrounding communities. Dentists and hygienists donate their time to provide services and teach children good oral hygiene.
Tickets are $100 per person and include hosted cocktails, dinner, gaming and entertainment.
For tickets, call (818) 841-8010. Kids’ Community Dental Clinic is located at 400 W. Elmwood Ave., Burbank.
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JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.