Special Needs talent show brought out the best in people

Benji Christensen gives marital advise to Blake and Robin Savage at the Special Needs Activities Program talent show on Thursday, March 23, 2023.

MILLVILLE – The Ridgeline High School auditorium was rocking and rolling Thursday night with the Special Needs Activities Program talent show. The place was rocking because the talented singers were singing loud and fast and rolling because the emcee Benji Christensen had the crowd rolling in the isles.

Quentin Faamoe performs Any Dream Will Do on stage at the Ridgeline High School Auditorium on Thursday, March 23, 2023.

The last talent extravaganza was held in 2019 then COVID shut everything down. Then with other delays it’s been four years before the group could take the stage.

It was good to be back. I love it,” Christensen said. “It has been the best thing in my life to be emcee at these shows.”

He met his wife Krista at one of the shows. The talent show has been going since 1996 and he has been a part of it every year since then.

“I was going to emcee the north show when they shut everything down,” he said. “Originally, there was one group, but it got too big, so they split it and made a north and south group.”

Christensen is a huge proponent of the talent shows and the program.

“It’s a great opportunity for people all over the valley to see what these people are capable of,” he said. “They absolutely love to interact with each other.”

There were more than 30 performers who showed their talents that evening. There were some who also showcased their artwork outside of the auditorium.

Benji Christensen the emcee gets told by Chelsey Evens to leave the stage before she sings Close Every Door at the talent show at the Special Needs Activity at Ridgeline High School on Thursday March 23, 2023.

“With no fear they stand up there and do what they do. They love it,” he said. “It’s a rush for the performers and the crowd gets into it and it becomes electric in the auditorium.”

Christensen said emceeing those shows is a huge thing in his life.

“l feel very blessed to be able to do this,” he said. “The only way I’m going to get to heaven is by having those people pull for me.”

Christensen said there’s been a hole in his life since they quit doing the shows. He said it was good to be back working with his friends.

Alycia Balling is a co-president of the organization with her husband Lance. She said she was pleased with the evening.

“I don’t know of very many people that go and don’t feel better about themselves after watching these people perform,” she said. “I think they bring out the best in people.”

This was the Ballings’ first year at the helm.

Debra Sue Chandler performs Lord Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing on Thursday March 23, 2023.

“This was quite the learning experience,” Balling said. “The participants were excited and they had so much fun. They got up on stage and looked like they had the time of their lives.”

The Ballings’ two teenaged boys Bart and Blake have jumped in with both feet and have become a big part of the Special Needs Activities Program when their parents were called.

“They are really sweet boys and they have been enjoying participating in the activities,” she said. “They were great stagehands for the performers.”

 

All of the performances were fun to watch and it appeared as though they all had a good time.

“They were all nervous in the beginning but when the crowd got into it,” she said.  “My favorite part of the program was watching the participants banter with Benji. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the bantering back and forth was fun.”

The talent show drew an active crowd that clapped, laughed and waved light sticks in the air while participants sang, danced, read a poem or told jokes. A couple of entertainers had people’s cell phone flashlights moving to the music.

Bart Balling is the volunteer that helps Josh Briggs with a magic trick while Benji Christensen holds the microphone on Thursday March 23, 2023.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsors the Cache Valley South Special Needs Activities Mutual for individuals 18 years and up.

The Church’s program purpose is two-fold: to provide an opportunity for our participants to continue to learn and grow their life skills and enjoy activities with their peers in a safe and comfortable social setting; and, enhancing their spiritual and emotional development.

The other thing is to provide an opportunity for ward youth from the 16 participating Stakes to learn and to grow as they serve and interact with those they may not otherwise have occasion to, hopefully enhancing their compassion.

Lance Balling said the advisers and counselors made a big difference in how the show turned out.

“I was very pleased with how the evening went when the performers had the stage, they felt like stars and they were on top of the world,”  he said. “For our first time we couldn’t have been happier with the way the evening went.”

They didn’t advertise and they still had a good crowd.

Hunter Potter makes a drawing during his performance at the Special Needs Activity on Thursday March 23, 2023.

“We gave anyone who wanted a chance to participate an opportunity to do it,” he said. “And I wouldn’t change anything.”

The talent show drew some 500 people who showed their appreciation to the entertainers and made the evening more unforgettable.

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