The Catskill Chronicle

Story and photos by Carol Montana

MONTICELLO, NY (June 4, 2012) – Community Unity of Sullivan County combined forces on June 3 with several other organizations to raise funds for the Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless.

Community Unity is a coalition of RISE (Rape Intervention Services and Education), The Federation of the Homeless, The Recovery Center, and the D.R.E.A.M Tank.

Taking place at Mr. Willy’s restaurant in Monticello, another event earlier in the day hosted by WSUL/WVOS featured a family fun day with a bounce house, slide, carnival games, cotton candy and
raffles every twenty minutes.

Beginning at 7:00 p.m. Thunder 102 brought its Brad Paisley Virtual Reality Food Drive and the Texaco Country Showdown to the event. Admission was a non-perishable food item, while other funds were raised with gift-basket raffle tickets.

The Texaco Country Showdown is a national 30-year-old contest open to performers “who have not performed on a record listed in  the national record charts of Billboard, Radio and Records, or The Gavin Report within eighteen months preceding local competition.” Each act pays a $20.00 entry fee “and all contestants must begin their competition by performing at showdowns produced by participating country music radio stations.”

The local contest, sponsored by radio station Thunder 102, featured six performers: Anna Rose Mongiello – a 19 year old, who sang an original song called “All of You”; Lucky House, consisting of Joe Dibisceglie and Dianne Webber who sang “White Liar”; Kaylah, a 13 year old who sang an original song entitled “Anthony”; Vice President of the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce Cathy Paty who sang “Broken Wing”; 14 year old Jennifer Grace who sang the original song “ Redneck Prince Charming”; and 12 year old Mikke Zip who sang “Johnny & June.”

A uniform judging system employed by all judges for the Texaco Country Showdown ensures fairness. This year’s judges were: “Big John” Davis, lead singer of Iron Cowboy, Gabrielle Scott – Marketing Manager from Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Jonathan Fox – River Reporter columnist, and Marcum Stewart and Andrea Villarreal of the country music group Acklen Park.

In between the songs, contestants were interviewed by Thunder 102 radio personality Michelle Semerano.

When all the tabulations had been made, Cathy Paty was declared the winner of the local Texaco Country Showdown. Paty now goes onto a state final at the Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville on August 25, 2012. First runner-up was Mikki Zip and second runner-up was Lucky House.

The Brad Paisley Virtual Reality Food Drive is part of the performer’s current  tour, where select venues will be collecting food for local food banks with one lucky person winning a meet and greet with Paisley.

Following the Showdown were performances by last year’s winner Jason Casterlin, and rounding out the evening was Acklen Park.

Community Unity’s Raise the Roof Campaign is raising funds to rehabilitate the building that houses the Federation for the Homeless. Built in the 1950s as the Jewish Community Center, the building is showing its age, with certain parts of it, quite literally, crumbling. It is in desperate need of a new roof, structural and electrical repairs.

This event was only one of several held each year to benefit the Federation for the Homeless. An annual Food Raiser is held in January to raise funds to assist the Federation in its mission. To find out more, call the Federation at 845-794-2604.

To see more photos or to purchase prints from Raising the Roof with the 2012 Texaco Country Showdown, visit The Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.