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Students, faculty and staff entertainers featured in Friday night’s BANDaids for BRIDGE talent show performed before a packed house at the T. Pepin Hospitality Centre. The event’s  sold out with 450 ticket sales. 

Proceeds and donations raised a record amount for BRIDGE Healthcare clinic, USF Health’s free student-run health clinic for the University community.  A tally of the funds raised will be reported in this story once the total is final. 

The evening’s 30 acts featured music, dance, singing, dramatic arts and comedy.  Winners were: 

– First place: Madeline Synder and Omar Qazi, Open Arms  (singing)
– Second place: Adam Schwartz, The Prayer (piano)
– Third place: Candace Hddox, Gene Peir and Dan Restrepo, The Orginal Rage n’ Dan (band)
– Fourth place (tie): John Pham and Michelle Rosario, If You Want Me to Stay (dancing), and Dr. Stephen Klasko and Joel Momberg, The Blues Brothers… Bulls Style (singing and dancing)

Serving as the American Idol-style judges were  Cynthia Stevens Grimes, director of Entertainment Revue; Rhea Law, CEO and chair of board at Fowler, White, Boggs, P.A.; Brendan McLaughlin, ABC Action News anchor; Pam Muma, community volunteer; and Steven Oscher. 

Masters of ceremonies  for the evening were Dr. Stephen Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, and Madeline Snyder, second-year medical student.

BandAIDS for BRIDGE Masters of Ceremonies Dr. Stephen Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, and Madeline Snyder, USF second-year medical student, are interviewed on the pre-event red carpet by Mark Schreiner, producer and host of WUSF’s University Beat.

Mile Kracevski of Moffitt Cancer Center played the guitar.

Tara Zimmerman, on the staff of Morsani College of Medicine’s Center for Advanced Clinical Learning, performed a comedy stand-up act.

Dr. Stephen Klasko (left), CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, and Joel Momberg, CEO of the USF Foundation, performed a “Blues Brothers” act including Gangham Style lyrics with a USF Bulls twist.

Guests browse the silent auction featuring than 50 goods and services, including A Day at Sea with Dr. John Sinnott and Dinner with Dr. Klasko.

The panel of judges commented on each category of acts.

At bouquet was presented to USF medical student Madeline Synder, who headed the BANDaids for BRIDGE Planning Committee.

 Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications