Rising Star vocalists headed to semi-finals
Also, Kicking Cancer’s Butt at Hacienda June 26; 3rd annual No One Rides Alone Aug. 16
The Rising Star vocal competition wrapped up its preliminary round on June 13 with four singers advancing to the semi-final round, which takes place this Friday evening, June 27, at the Rhine Hall Event Venue, 507 N. Union St.
Promising vocalists Sierra Mack, J’Lan Stewart, Elijah Alexander, and Kaylee Janssen advanced during the competition in front of a packed house at Rhine Hall. Celebrity judges Bree Bragg of the Kokomo Post, Kenny Beasley from WWKI, and Sami Soutar-Lightsey of Rhum Academy of Music deliberated for an extended amount of time, as the competition proved to be very close among the seven singers who competed.
The trio all are experienced vocalists and instructors, and each gave pointers, praise, and a little bit of constructive criticism during the competition. They selected four finalists from the group, and the audience also had an opportunity to choose their favorite performer by donating a dollar per vote, all of which was given to Rhum Academy of Music as a fundraiser for its Legacy Fund, which defrays costs for talented students who may not be able to afford musical training otherwise.
In the June 13 competition, Kaylee Janssen won the People’s Choice Award. She received one-on-one coaching, as did Mackenzie Bashore, who won People’s Choice in the first round of Rising Star competition on May 30.
The field is now set for the semi-final round on June 27. Mack, Stewart, Alexander, and Janssen will join first round winners Amos Greene, Mackenzie Bashore, Shayden Smith, Lucy Featherston, and Mar’Koya Kendrick on the stage at Rhine Hall.
Bashore and Kendrick automatically will advance to the finals, set for Fri., July 18, by virtue of their People’s Choice selections. And the audience will have the chance to advance yet another People’s Choice winner to the finals on June 27. The rest of the performers will have to impress the celebrity judges on the stage to possibly become Kokomo’s next Rising Star.
Doors open at 7 p.m. this Friday night, and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and are available in advance by visiting www.rhinehallevents.com, or can be purchased at the door on the evening of the event.
Concessions, including a full bar, soda, water, and snacks, as well as Andy’s Pizza by the slice, will be available throughout the evening.
Kicking Cancer’s Butt at Hacienda June 26
Relay for Life Team Kicking Cancer's Butt (KCB) will be the beneficiary of a Hacienda Give Back Day on Thu., June 26.
Those seeking to help KCB raise funds to go toward cancer research need only visit the restaurant on that day and present the image that accompanies this article at the time of purchase. The wait staff is familiar with the process and will react accordingly when presented with the image.
Hacienda policy allows participants to use this "token" when purchasing a Fiesta-to-Go order or when purchasing gift cards. However, gift cards may not be used to make payment on the meal or order upon which the token is applied.
Anyone having questions about the Hacienda Gives Back Fiesta program can call the restaurant locally at 765- 452-8231.
The annual Relay for Life will take place locally on Sat., Sept. 13, beginning at 10 a.m. in Foster Park.
Currently, the local Relay for Life chapter has raised more than $18,000 towards its $40,000 goal for 2025. for more information about Relay for Life, including opportunities to participate and donate, call 800-227-2345, contact brady.medovic@cancer.org or visit https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?pg=entry&fr_id=110325
No One Rides Alone Aug. 16
The third annual No One Rides Alone Breast Cancer Ride will take place Sat., Aug. 16, at Harley-Davidson of Kokomo, 335 S, 00 EW, on south Ind. 931.
Organized by the UAW Local 685 Women's Committee, the ride will begin with registration from 10-11 a.m., and kickstands go up at 11 a.m. Motorcycles and Jeeps are welcome to participate. The cost is a $25 donation per person. The first 50 bikes to register will receive a free commemorative t-shirt.
Participation in this event includes the ride, lunch, and a door prize ticket. The day also will include a silent auction, giveaways, and live music from The Time Travelers, who will perform from noon until 3 p.m.
The No One Rides Alone Breast Center Ride is made possible by sponsorship from Harley-Davidson of Kokomo, Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union, the UAW Local 685 Women's Committee and Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Kokomo.
