Oshawa Music Week’s Our Lips Are Synced charity event supported the hungry while providing a fun time for viewers on April 4th.
Durham College’s Music Business Management students organized the fundraiser held at Fionn MacCool’s in Oshawa.
The night had performances of singing and lip-syncing in a light-hearted competition. Viewers voted to determine the best entertainer.
Sydney Adair, lead organizer and MBM student, said they raised $1543.49. Starbucks, one of the sponsors, matched the donation, bringing it to $3086.98.
Previously, donations have gone to organizations such as Big Brother Big Sister and MusiCounts. This is the first time money is going towards Feed the Need.
“The homeless issue happening in Oshawa right now, we really wanna be able to help the shelters,” Adair said,
According to the October 2022 report card from the Durham Region, there are at least 266 homeless people in the area.
One of the performers, Amanda Holden said, they contributed because they’ve experienced poverty and having nothing to eat.
“I did this out of an act of love from my past to now,” said Holden.
Denver Riddell, one of lip-sync performers, released an EP earlier in the year that “captures the pain of starving and facing homelessness in Canada.”
He said it felt good to participate.
“Whenever you can do something to give back to the community, especially a great organization like Feed the Need, you love to do it,” said Riddell.
The winner of the night, Jerico DeJesus whose drag name is Jeriana Grande, said growing up, they always loved the idea of being part of something bigger.
“Being part of something that is raising money for the community, for the city of Oshawa, makes me very happy because that’s exactly what I wanna do,” Grande said.
They said another reason they performed was to represent people like them: Asians, LGBTQ+ and “those who fit outside of the norm.”
The event started at 7 p.m. and went until 10 p.m. The bar was nearly full with a lively crowd that embraced all the signers and lip-sync performers.
“I think because it is ‘70s themed, there’s a lot more people interested because there’s the dressing up and all those things,” Adair said. “Having it in a bar, and the dress up, I think that’s what makes it stand out.”
A raffle for a gift basket and a best 1970s-themed outfit competition also took place.