MR. CHIEFTAIN Charity event raises 6k for Macomb Charitable Foundation

Mr. Chieftain was a competitive event for boys where they competed against each other to win the crown. It took place on Feb. 15, 2023, and many people went, including students, teachers, siblings and parents. Consisting of entirely seniors, the contestants showed off their skills for the audience, both individually and as a group.

The charity event benefited the Macomb Charitable Foundation, which exists to help children living at or below poverty level in Macomb County.

“The charity provides children with benefits and services that meet their basic needs,” event sponsor Erin Derk said, “while offering kindness, humility and respect to them.”

Their goal is to alleviate the suffering of children and their families by providing financial assistance, and this year’s Mr. Chieftain event donated $6,404.33 to the foundation.

The show had a choreographed dance in the beginning, featuring all of the contestants. Afterwards, the contestants individually showed off their talents.

“Words can’t describe what I saw, there were a lot of talented and untalented acts,” principal Tim Youngblood said.“It was nothing like I’ve seen before.”

Honorable mentions for performances include eating a ghost pepper while singing, a guitar solo, throwing pies, Elsa from “Frozen” singing, and juggling.

The winner of Mr. Chieftain was senior Carson Konczalski. After impressing the crowd with his entertaining act, a parody about Utica, the judges thought he’d be fit for the crown.

“I thought it would be a fun thing to do,” Konczalski said. “A lot of my friends were doing it so we all did it together. Being on stage was kind of cool, the lights kind of blinded me so I couldn’t really see much, but it was definitely a different experience. It was fun.”

Daniel Olah was another one of the contestants during the event.

“I tried out because I thought it would be fun to partic- ipate in such an event,” Olah said, “and I liked that all the proceeds went to a charity.”

Senior Doug Gettleson won the titles of Mr. Popular and Mr. Personality.

“I tried out for Mr. Chieftain because it is something I knew I would never forget and was a fun thing to do with my friends who also participated,” Gettleson said. “It was really cool, but since I already do theater it wasn’t any different. It was such a great experience. My favorite part of the competition was the group dance with the other contestants and, of course, winning Mr. Popular and Mr. Personality.”

You might be wondering why anyone would participate in Mr. Chieftain other than for charity, or why would anyone get up on stage in front of hundreds of people.

“There wasn’t really any reason to do it other than why not. On stage it was cool seeing everyone stand up and support me. It was nice,” senior James Johnson said. “I was not nervous because I’ve been on stage before, so it doesn’t really bother me.”

It was a very good experience for the contestants. It was even one contestant’s birthday when they performed.

“It was my birthday so I thought it would be fun to do,” senior Nathan Silver said. “Yes, I was nervous, but when we got on stage I started to get used to it. It was a very enjoyable experience and I had a lot of fun with all the contestants, especially when we made the dance.”

The event was popular among the students who attended.

“I went to Mr. Chieftain because I thought it would be a fun opportunity that I wouldn’t want to miss out on,” sophomore Amy Williams said. “I thought it was very entertaining and fun to see. The dance the contestants did at the start was pretty fun.”

Mr. Chieftain left a good impression on the audience, with certain acts standing out to the viewers

“I’d probably go again next year,” Williams said.

Mr. Chieftain was a very fun event where the contestants could let loose and impress the crowd with their talents, all while raising money and supporting a good cause.

“Raising money in general for families and people below the poverty line is a great thing, so everyone who raised money should have been with me for Mr. Charity.”

Mr. Charity James Johnson, senior, dancing with senior Trevor Essenmacher

“It great to win something that I will remember, but what’s more important is the money we raised and how much fun we had doing it. Mr. Personality is a teacher-given award; it means a lot to know that I was being supported by teachers, too.”

Mr. Personality & Mr. Popularity Douglas Gettleson, senior

“I was honestly surprised when I was crowned Mr. Chieftain. I didn’t know if I was going to win or not, but it was cool. I had a lot of fun with my friends, both backstage and on stage. We all had a great time.”

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