By Garrett Ammesmaki,
Editor
The Lennox Athletic Booster Club is hosting their annual fundraiser for the 2022-23 school year at 6 pm Saturday, September 24. It will take place in the newly constructed Lincoln County 4-H Building one mile north of Lennox on Highway 17.
The event will host the Big Orange Food Truck, a silent auction and a performance by local Sioux Falls performers The Dueling Duo.
This will be the booster club’s second annual fundraiser featuring the piano-playing duo.
“It’s great entertainment for anyone that is there — they add humor to it and really get the crowd involved in the act,” said Booster Club President Heidi Bowers.
Members of the crowd are encouraged to put song requests into a jar accompanied by a cash tip for the performers to duel out on stage, Bowers said. Half of the tip will go to the musician and half will go to the booster club.
“For the past decade, the Dueling Duo has been setting the Midwest ablaze with its unique brand of all-request dueling pianos,” according to the Dueling Duo’s website. “With over 1150 shows in eight states on their resume, the Duo is unparalleled in their combination of musicianship, humor and songbook.”
Though it is billed as a duo, it includes three performers that are “constantly tweaking the catalog, learning new material as it shows up, while also putting new spins on old favorites.”
Transitions between songs are another highlight for the show. While most shows are typically rehearsed and planned out, the Dueling Duo noodle on whatever songs are thrown at them.
Tables for the front row of the performance are going fast, Bowers said. So far, they’ve sold seven of the eight tables available. A ticket for a table that seats eight people costs $400. A ticket for general admission is $30.
Both table reservations and tickets for general admission are exclusively sold through ACE Hardware of Lennox.
The silent auction will be held between 7 pm and 8pm and will include items donated by Scheels, Poet, Nelson Construction and ACE Hardware.
The event is open to the entire community, but you have to be 21 or older to attend.
Bowers said they are thankful that this year’s fundraising event is on track. Last year’s had to be rescheduled due to the tornado that struck Lennox.
Regardless of the interruption, it was a successful fundraiser, Bowers said. They were able to raise $8,000 for the Lennox School District. They’re hoping to top that amount this year with a goal of $10,000.
“It’s a great fundraiser,” she said. “It’s a great way for people to get out, hang out and help raise money for our local athletes.”
The Lennox Athletic Booster Club uses the raised funds to purchase various enhancements to the school’s athletic program. Their donations have included tennis bags, golf bags and a golf net for the golf team, extra weights for the weight room and helping with training camps for athletes.