By Olivia Monzel
A popular fundraising event called Mr. BHS entertained students and faculty members while raising money for a good cause.
Mr. BHS is a widely-known fundraiser that has happened for the last six years at Batavia High School. On Saturday, April 18, students and faculty members filled the Batavia Fine Arts Center for a night of fun-filled performances by the chosen male contestants. 12 students, three from each grade, were voted by their classmates to participate.
“Mr. BHS raises money for the Spastic Paralysis Research Foundation to help children with diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, and more,” said junior Lindsey Scanlan.
Scanlan is a member of KEY club, which runs Mr. BHS at Batavia High School. The people of KEY club raised the money by charging seven dollars for the performance, taking donations the week before, and having a bake sale during the intermission.
The KEY club raised $10,000 which will go straight to the Spastic Paralysis Research Foundation. Their goal was $10,000 and they reached their goal with the help of everyone involved.
“As a KEY club member I was an escort, so I helped my guy (Luke Garrity) with anything he needed to prepare for the show, and also I carried a bucket around to help him try and raise the most money,” Scanlan said.
All escorts carried a bucket around school and received donations by their friends and classmates. The amount of money a participant collected would contribute to his score the night of the performance.
After all 12 boys answered a questionnaire, participated in a swimsuit competition, and showed off one of their talents, it was time for the judges to decide.
The third runner up, who was also the crowd’s favorite, was Luke Garrity, a junior who had the crowd laughing in every one of his acts. This was his first time participating in the event.
The second runner up was senior Calvin Chapman, a Mr. BHS contestant last year. He won the crowd over with his witty answers. For one question, Chapman compared a broken heart to a natural disaster.
Sophomore John Hix was crowned Mr. BHS after performing a song by using many different instruments. His swimsuit performance consisted of him playing the ukulele while singing a song. His talent was of him playing the drums and singing another song with his band. He also helped his fellow contestants by playing the piano.
“My favorite thing about participating in Mr. BHS was the people involved and raising money. I’ve been in Mr. BHS twice now, and the people running it, the escorts, and the rest of the guys, no matter what age, are all there solely to help a cause,” said John Hix. “That shows me that all these people care enough to put in the time to prep for the show, which is a lot of time, just to help others. Plus, the ladies come running…but they must have all tripped because they never got to me.”
Key club members pose for a picture after hosting, escorting, and running Mr. BHS. These girls also helped raise money by carrying buckets for people to donate money at school.