Mr. MJS a Fun Night for a Good Cause

The search was on and to the delight of the crowd by the end of the night he was discovered: Jay Oh was Mr. MJS.

Last Friday the Madison Junior School presented the fifth-annual Mr. MJS pageant, the proceeds of which benefited the Family Reach Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping families dealing with pediatric cancer and other life threatening illnesses.

"This contest evolved from an idea the student council had six years ago to
one of the biggest events of the year," MJS Student Council co-advisor Stephen Finkelstein said. "It has become something that everyone looks forward to for the entire year.  Mr. MJS is a night of great entertainment for a great cause."

Each year the school donates the money raised at the door and those raised by the contestants to the charity that the New Jersey Association of Student Councils (NJASC) selects for each middle and high school in the state to donate to.

Just over $2,000 was raised during the event, which was sponsored by the MJS Student Council.

"To have over $1,700 in ticket sales shows that MJS has a lot of school spirit and pride," said MJS Student Council co-advisor Laura Bauer. "We are so proud of the contestants and everything they did to support the Family Reach Foundation.  They are an outstanding group of kids."

Nine boys competed for the title of Mr. MJS. Each contestant had to compete in an opening dance number, a causal wear portion, a talent portion, a formal wear exhibition, and a question and answer section.

Rick and Marilyn Morello–founders of the Family Reach Foundation–also spoke to the students and parents about how they started the foundation in honor of their daughter, who passed away from cancer.

Joining Oh in earning a title was Doug Witte, who was named Mr. Talent this year.

Each of the nine contestants had to fill out an application and get sponsored by a local business. Each boy was then named for the sponsor and wore a custom made sash for the night.