Bethel District News, October 7, 2010, By Pat McGillivray
Willamette staff brought down the house with their Shake It routine.
EUGENE, Ore. --No one was quite sure how it would go. But when the Willamette auditorium sold out and Prairie Mountain’s Tom Woods took the stage first as a young Elvis, the BEF knew it had a hit on its hands.
The Bethel Education Foundation’s first ever Bethel Staff Talent Show ended more than three hours later to a standing ovation.
16 acts performed, with everything from small combos to nearly entire school staffs. There were dancers, singers, and musicians. New teachers shared the stage with 30 year veterans who’d been waiting decades for an opportunity like this.
The majority of comments that followed were of appreciation for putting another spark in the Bethel “family” atmosphere among the staff. Some are already making plans for their acts for what will assuredly be a second annual Staff Talent Show next year.
And not to be overlooked is the more than $5,000 that was raised. It will all go back into Bethel classrooms in the form of BEF mini-grants.