Jackie Phillips Carter, the city’s health commissioner, took home the new “Bridgebuilder” award, honoring the 52 donations she brought in. She also won the trophy for most funds raised for CBI — over $6,000.
Carter and Clayton Castle, Middletown’s communications manager, performed “Me and My Shadow” as a duet.
Second place for most funds raised went to Steve Hightower of Hightowers Petroleum Co.; and third place went to Sarah Nathan, Middletown Community Foundation executive director.
First Financial Bank’s Josh Galloway closed the show with a country song, “There Was This Girl,” which earned him the audience choice “Showstopper” award.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Middletown Mayor Elizabeth Slamka, who performed at last year’s event, said the event is her “absolute favorite night in Middletown.”
Verlena Stewart, CBI’s executive director, said she was “thankful” for the performers “who are putting their alter egos on the line and doing it for the kids.”
Stephen “Stevie Got Soul” Hightower II of Hightowers Petroleum Co. emceed the show, opening with a performance of “Make My Funk the P-Funk” with live band Live Your Dream.
Steve Hightower, the father of the emcee, performed a tribute to Sylvester Stewart, or Sly Stone, with the help of his son and back up singers.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
A youth performance of “We Are the World” and “Rise Up” from CBI’s RISE Out of School Program cohort followed, accompanied by John Burg.
The Hometown Hero Award was presented to Lester Troutman for his band, Zapp, and in honor of his brother, Roger Troutman.
Troutman said the event was “way better” than he thought it was going to be.
“The talent...Stewart you lied to me,” he said, speaking to local musician Jimmy Stewart. “Stewart said it was just going to be a talent show...this is really, really, really good. Really good.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
CBI is a local non-profit organization operating out of the Robert “Sonny” Hill Community Center.
Founded in 2009, it provides “cradle to career” programming including early education; K-12 after-school, which serves around 300 kids; and workforce development programs.
Middletown Rocks is one of the program’s biggest fundraising events of the year, and it raised around $80,000 in its first two years.
Proceeds from CBI’s fundraising events, including its annual Turkey Trot, support all programming in addition to grants.
Middletown Rocks’ initial purpose was to get the “community invested” in CBI’s mission.
“We do really good work here at CBI...and we needed all of the community to be apart of that concept and change,” Stewart said.
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