A little over two years ago, when I was rehearsing for a show, one of my musical directors plugged auditions for a production of "Footloose" that a nonprofit organization near me called the Charles Seller Foundation was putting on. The organization puts on a musical every summer to raise money for a sick child with high medical bills, and that year was to benefit Jordan Williams, who was diagnosed with leukemia. Since I was absolutely in love with their mission statement, and I was no stranger to combining performing with helping others in need with my involvement with V-Day, I decided that I wanted to audition. During the week of auditions, I ended up getting violently ill and was unable to audition that year.

Regardless, I still wanted to see the show because of how much I loved what they were doing. After seeing the show, I made a promise that I would audition for them the year after. I did get to audition for their production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", which was to benefit Andrew Conforti, who was diagnosed with the LCH tumor. Not only did we have our rehearsals Monday through Thursday and raised money through ticket sales, but we also raised money through car washes and selling advertisements. They also had bonding activities during the weeks of the show, including their Olympics, prom, and their superlatives aka YNOT's (TONY's backward), all of which I got to help plan. It wasn't just another show that I was a part of, it was a bonding experience with many amazing people coming together to raise money for a child in need.

For those of you who don't know, the Charles Seller Foundation was originally founded in 1950, when a man named Charles Seller was struck by a train and lost one of his legs. His family and friends came together to put on a variety show called Talent Time (which was where the performance portion of the organization, Talent Time Players, got its name) to aid his medical bills. This started a tradition where every summer, members ages 13 through 30 produce and perform in a musical in which all their profits go towards someone in the North Jersey area with high medical bills.

At the end of the run, I felt so amazing and proud of us for all the hard work we made for Andrew. I loved the feeling knowing that we did so much for this child this year that I wanted to come back the year after. It made me realize that I wanted to use what I love to make a difference in other people's lives. As of right now, I am currently in the rehearsal process for their production of "Shrek", which will be benefiting Andy Bustamante, who has muscular dystrophy.

So, to the Charles Seller Foundation and Talent Time Players, and to everyone involved, thank you for everything you have done these past sixty-eight years. Thank you for making an impact on so many children's lives for as long as you have. Thank you for existing.