Lip Sync Challenge raises money for kids’ wishes
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By ROBERT A. DEFRANK
Times Leader Staff Writer
WHEELING -- Local notables will show their talent on-stage and raise money to make the wishes of some brave children come true with the fifth annual lip sync challenge fundraiser for A Special Wish, 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Capitol Theatre in Wheeling.
Annmarie O'Grady, executive director of the Ohio Valley chapter of A Special Wish, hopes for a full house.
The event is being presented by The Health Plan.
"This is the second year that they've been the presenting sponsor for our lip sync challenge," she said.
"This event has really grown in recognition and popularity over these last five years. It's getting the reputation as the event you don't want to miss. It's such a fun event. Once people go for the first time, they keep coming back," she said.
O'Grady said they have five new contestants this year. Each will perform two songs.
"They put so much work and effort into their performances. It's just amazing what they can come up with," she said.
The contestants are Barnesville WesBanco Banking Center manager John Rataiczak; Linsly School's Chief Advancement Officer Lea Ridenhour; Augusta Levy Learning Center Development Coordinator Taylor Rys and owner of Rysing Star Dance Academy; Lt. Josh Sanders of the Wheeling Police Department, Special Operations, and Harvey Goodman Realtor President of property management Emily Shortall.
"Their song choices are what's kept top-secret," O'Grady said. "That's one of the main fun things, not knowing which songs each contestant will be doing. All five of these folks are high-energy, extremely fun, and I expect all of them to bring big performances.
"A Special Wish Ohio Valley, we are so grateful for the time and effort each of these folks give for the benefit of the children in our organization. They do this just out of the goodness of their heart. They volunteer their time so that we can raise funds to keep granting wishes here in the Ohio Valley," she said.
O'Grady said attendance and talent has increased every year.
"We always have one of our wish kids as the special judge. Sometimes it's just hard for our children to attend functions such as this, but those who can and are able to usually try to attend. It's a very family-friendly event. There's always kids in the act," she said.
She hopes for 1,000 attendees.
"We always hope to raise a substantial amount of money. This is our biggest fundraiser, so raising over $20,000 is wonderful, and an event like this many times allows us to do that."
O'Grady said so far the organization has granted one wish this year, to send a wish child and family to Disney World, with another family going at the end of the year.
"A lot of our newer wish children are under the age of 3 and are not healthy enough right now to take a wish if it's a travel wish, and some of them are just so little that their families want to wait until they're ... able to express what they want," O'Grady said. "They've all been very young lately."
O'Grady said this is likely because more people are aware of the organization. A Special Wish has been active for 31 years, but created an executive director position in 2017 to help spread word in the Ohio Valley and to hold more events.
"We have some that have been fighting leukemia. Some of our wish children have rare diseases that have no cure, and we have one little baby that just got to go home after spending almost the first year of her life at (the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center). She had a heart transplant. It's heartbreaking what these families and these young children have to go through, but we're so happy that we are here and we exist to grant them these wishes and bring some happiness."
She added A Special Wish is not affiliated with any national wish-granting agencies, and all money raised goes to Ohio Valley children. The organization is entirely funded by sponsorships, donations and events such as the lip sync challenge.
O'Grady said more people who have or know of a prospective wish child are contacting A Special Wish.
"We will do as many wishes as we get qualified wish children. We don't cap a certain amount each year," she said.
O'Grady added that most of the wishes are related to travel, but the organization is able to provide a variety of services.
"With the way the economy is right now, a typical wish is anywhere between $5,000-$8,000," O'Grady said. "We are appreciative of anything donated to us. Anything. It all helps. It all makes a difference. There's no donation too small because it all helps."
Other sponsors are Joe's Tires, The Linsly School, Cardinal Operating Company, Myser & Myser, Attorneys at Law, Lea Ridenhour and Eriks Janelsins.
Tickets for the lip sync can be obtained from any contestant, the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce, or the Capitol Theatre website of capitoltheatrewheeling.com.
To donate or to refer a child, contact O'Grady at aogrady@spwishov.com, call 740-449-2063. The organization also has a Facebook page.