Lighting up the stage at Citizen’s Circle in Downtown Ocala Saturday, March 22nd is the Second Annual Ocala’s Got Talent competition. This local showing of skill and artistry will be pulling the best up-and-coming talent from the area to entertain and compete for over $2000 in cash prizes. Last year’s competition (held in the Ocala Entertainment Complex) showcased everything from juggling acts to singers and dancers. Hosted by Project Hope, a local non-profit focused on helping families get on their feet, the event is expected to draw twice the crowd it did in 2013.
“Fund raising was a big hole in Project Hope,” Seth McBride, Ocala’s Got Talent Coordinator and member of Project Hope began, “We wanted to do a fundraiser and we wanted to do something different. There’s all these 5K’s and sit down dinners, but we wanted to start with something completely out of the box and see if it worked.”
Last year’s event placed 18 contestants on the stage, raising over $12,000 for Project Hope and the families it serves. Project Hope aims to be a long term solution to for families in need. After an application process and acceptance into the program, Project Hope helps families with transportation, finding jobs, obtaining an education, housing, and even basic life skills like cooking, cleaning, and anger management. The Ocala’s Got Talent competition serves as the primary fund raiser for the families being supported by Project Hope, and relies on Ocala turning out and supporting the event.
“It was (last year’s event) a great starting point,” McBride continued, “everybody had a great time. We saw that we had some chemistry and people liked what we did, so we said this is going to be an annual event.”
This year’s event is offering fewer spaces for competitors, seeking out quality in acts over quantity. With around 10 contestants performing, the event will last around 2 hours, and begins at 7pm. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 the day of, and $8 for students. Various sponsorship packages are available as well, including VIP packages with preferential seating and catering from Mojo’s Grill. Tickets and sponsorship packages can be purchased at Pasteur’s Sports (1835 SW College Rd.
Ocala). For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ocalatalent .