Ten contestants will face off Saturday, June 25, in the finals of the 10th Annual Karaoke Contest at the Sweet Home Veterans Club.
Organizer Debbie Jewell said the two previous rounds of the contest have taken place in front of a packed house.
“You could tell everyone was excited to be there and couldn’t wait to see who the top 10 would be,” she said after the semifinals on June 18. “With so many people in the building, it can be difficult sometimes to keep the noise down for the singers but the crowd was very respectful and showed their appreciation for each singer and not just their favorites.”
The 10 finalists are Cathy Cheshire, Cheyenne Patton, Alyssa Ullrich, Antoinette Clapp, Kayla Nevers, Brendan O’Brien, Bill Lovik, Lorenzo Pike, Chilly Mancuso and Fred Williams Jr.
Ten-year-old Hannah Wible has sung an acapella version of the national anthem both nights so far.
“We warned our contestants, they better watch out. In a few more years she will be their competition,” Jewell noted.
Judges for the finals are Kassie Lannom, CaraLee Somatis and Keegan Shaw.
The finals will be at 7 p.m. Saturday. Each contestant will sing two songs instead of one.
“The competition is fierce this year with almost $5,000 in cash and prizes to be given away,” Jewell said. “With this being our 10th year, we wanted it to be special so we will be giving away prizes to people in the audience for showing their continued support. The public is welcome and encouraged to come see what it’s all about.”
The competition started with 24 contestants, “which is a pretty good number,” she said. “We had several new singers this year, along with some fan favorites.”
In addition to the 10 who made the finals, semi-finalists included Jeanne Reves, Dan Daily, Kim Fandion, Perry Crocker and Bruce Hauser.
Each contestant pays a one time $10 fee which goes into the prize money for the winners, in addition to sponsorships.
The contest serves as a membership effort for the Vets Club and other local organizations serving veterans, Jewell said.
“We’ve been doing this for 10 years now, and without our sponsors and donations from our generous businesses and community members none of this would be possible,” Jewell said. “Most have stuck by us for all 10 years, helping veterans get the help and information they need.”