In the minds of many people, there is no more noble a gesture than caring for the needs of the children in our community. There are so many children and so many needs that people feel should be addressed. If an individual can make a sustained effort to make a difference, some of those needs can be filled. If a group of individuals comes together to take up the cause, the effect of the individual can be multiplied several times over. If that group can sustain the effort for an extended length of time, it is possible to make a substantial difference.

The Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville is an organization of individuals from our community that have taken the gesture of caring for the needs of children and embraced it as a mission. Bill Bowman, publisher of Up & Coming Weekly, is a member of the club who describes it as, “dedicated to the community and improving the lives of youth.” Since its formation in 1921, the Fayetteville Kiwanis Club has worked to better the community and serve children, preschool to high school, by offering and supporting many programs in varying areas of interest.

For the Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville, one program has become particularly endearing to the community, the annual Talent Night Showcase. The showcase has returned for its 63rd year and will be held at its traditional home at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre on June 13. The event is a showcase for talented young people from pre-school age though high school that serves as a fundraiser to support other Kiwanis programs like; Reading is Fun, Little League Baseball, and Key Clubs.

Bowman credited the community for the longevity and enduring success of the event, “When you have an event like this that draws the crowds it draws and serves the community it serves, it perpetuates itself. It’s not us that keep it alive; it’s the fact that it is a successful and prestigious event and this community that keeps it alive.”

Youth from all corners of the area will descend on the Honeycutt Recreation Center on May 31 for auditions. If they are selected as finalists, they will perform on the stage at Cape Fear Regional Theatre on June 13. The competition for those spots in the main show will be intense according Bowman, “We will audition hundreds of children who will vie for five or six spots in each category. We have them broken down by grade level but only five or six, depending on the competition, will be chosen. This is not just a talent show; this is the best of the best.”

In speaking about the type of talent that is selected, Bowman elaborated, “It is some amazing talent. We have had winners from the Kiwanis Talent Night go on to hold positions in the Boston Pops, go on to Broadway, and even become Miss North Carolina. We have a long tradition of turning out some of the best talent the county has to offer... For $7 you should not pass up the opportunity to see these young performers. “

For more information about attending or performing, please visit the Kiwanis Talent Night Showcase website at www.fayettevillekiwanis.org/talent.

Photo: Local students are invited to compete in the 63rd Annual Talent Night Showcase.