They were pitted against each other — for a cause!
Students from three Brooklyn schools took the stage on March 12 to show off their singing and dancing talents during the third annual Brooklyn Sings! event — a fierce, yet friendly, inter-school sing competition to raise money for cancer research. And this year, Midwood High School took home the gold for the first time, though everyone sung their hearts out, said one of the event’s coordinators.
“It is always nice to see the students interact with one another and perform. The performances were all great, and inter-sing always makes the students step up the bar,” said Gabrielle Pucci, student activities coordinator at James Madison High School — where the event was held.
Almost 500 students from the three high schools — Midwood, Edward R. Murrow, and James Madison — performed during the competition, raising more than $15,000 for the American Cancer Society, and bringing the three-year total to more than $50,000, said an event coordinator.
“It was really terrific, in three years we raised over $50,000,” said Relay for Life organizer Joe Gillette. “It was very exciting.”
Showcasing student creativity and talent dates back to 1947, when Brooklyn high schools hosted their own respective inter-grade student-run-musicals, known then as just “Sing!”
The tradition was resurrected three years, and a little competition was added to the mix to bring students from the neighboring schools together, said a senior advisor from James Madison High School.
“They wanted to bring back community and unity to the local high schools,” said Marla Rutter, who attended Midwood growing up. “All three did very well and each school has their own tradition. And the kids were great sports cheering and supporting each other.”
