Moorestown High School Interact Club will host the competition on Saturday, April 29.
The Moorestown High School auditorium will be filled this Saturday with singing voices and people uniting for a common cause — improving the lives of those with autism.
With Autism Awareness Month coming to an end, MHS Interact Club will hold its fifth annual Acappella for Autism competition with high school a cappella groups from Moorestown, Cherry Hill, Germantown, Haddon Heights, Princeton, Howell and Millburn. Sirens Acappella, a high school-aged group not affiliated with a particular school, and collegiate a cappella group The Trentones from The College of New Jersey, will also perform.
All proceeds from the interscholastic competition will benefit Autism New Jersey, a nonprofit agency dedicated to enhancing the lives of not only those who fall on the autism spectrum, but their families and the professionals who work with them as well.
“I have two cousins diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and everything that I do and have done for this committee has been for them,” Acappella for Autism senior chair Emma Edenbaum said. “I think that Acappella for Autism does an amazing thing by combining music and Autism New Jersey, because nothing compares to the light that appears in my cousins’ eyes when music plays.”
Acappella for Autism raises awareness during Autism Awareness Month and works closely with Autism New Jersey to support those with autism. The competition has raised close to $20,000 for Autism New Jersey over the past four years through ticket sales, concessions, sponsors and direct donations. Edenbaum says the proceeds have been steadily increasing each year, and this year, Interact Club had more groups than ever audition to be a part of the show.
In addition to being a great cause, the show will also be “wildly entertaining,” according to Edenbaum.
“There are no instruments at all. Watching the groups, you can swear that you can hear instruments, but they just aren’t there,” she said. “ The music form of a cappella is a masterful illusion.”
The Acappella for Autism committee began preparing for the event in September. While club advisor Dr. Donna Tortu oversees the process, she says the students take the reins, coordinating everything from stage professionals to ticket sales to sponsors.
“They are an extremely organized, committed and capable group of students,” Tortu said.
Tortu says the best part about being an Interact Club advisor is being able to work with students outside of the classroom and witness the passions that drive them to serve their community.
“It is an inspiration to watch and be able to support their experiences as student leaders and service-oriented young adults,” Tortu said.
Edenbaum spoke of her own passion and what Acappella for Autism means to her.
“Acappella for Autism is truly a beautiful thing that is very personal for me,” Edenbaum said. “When I do this and see a full committee working to grow the event as well as incredibly talented high school and college groups filling an auditorium to its full capacity, I think of [my cousins.]”
Acapella for Autism will be held in the Moorestown High School auditorium on Saturday, April 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available for purchase at www.showtix4u.com by searching “acappella.” For more information, contact the Interact Club at acappellaforautism@gmail.com.
