The votes are in for the 2022 edition of “Mohigan Idol” and the winner is … WVU Medicine Children’s.
And a passel of performing students from across Monongalia County received trophies, too, in the Morgantown High School talent competition that annually raises money for the children’s hospital on the Evansdale campus.
Last weekend’s happening on the storied stage of downtown’s Metropolitan Theatre brought in $40,339.45 for the hospital that treats children from across West Virginia and the world.
The competition was open to all elementary, middle school, high school and home-schooled students in Monongalia County.
Olivia Douglas of Eastwood Elementary took the trophy in her division, with home-schooler Delilah Henderson finishing second.
Anthony Labritz of St. Francis Central Catholic shone in the middle school competition with his first-place award. Mattea Abersold of Westwood Elementary and Marlow Pavone of Suncrest Elementary finished second and third, respectively.
Payton Ogden and Drew Mackey of Morgantown High shared a first-place trophy in their division, with University High’s Keri Rabonovich finishing second. Third-place honors went to Mary Mauney, Caleb Hetzner, Kayleigh Lamons, and Justin Mampel of MHS.
“Vertigo,” from Morgantown High, won in the event’s inaugural Battle of the Bands competition.
Gretchen Gibson, meanwhile, said she appreciates the beautiful music of all that money. The MHS teacher and student council advisor has been with “Mohigan Idol” since its start back in 2011.
Council members then had an idea, inspired by the popularity of “American Idol,” on network TV.
“Why not do an MHS version?” the young policymakers asked. “We’ll call it, ‘Mohigan Idol.’ We can raise money for the hospital.”
“It’s yours,” the faculty advisor said.
Gibson said she appreciates that the Morgantown High edition is now its own enduring brand — one that even a pandemic can’t totally derail.
The 2020 “Mohigan Idol” had to be scrapped altogether due to the coronavirus, but it moved back to the spotlight last year as an online version that still delivered $10,000 to hospital coffers.
With last weekend’s take, that means that about $170,000 has been raised since the first “Idol” 11 years ago.
That’s a decade-plus of ballerinas and the Memphis blues, Gibson said. And heavy metal bands and Haydn concertos, too.
“Some of this talent is phenomenal,” she said.
So is the mission of WVU Medicine Children’s, she said. The hospital is known for its specialized neonatal care and its physicians regularly receive national and international accolades for their techniques and research.
Construction is expected to be complete this year on a new, free-standing hospital.
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