This year marks the 16th anniversary of one of Amador Valley’s most beloved traditions: Mr. Amador. The organization works to raise money for the George Mark Children’s House while simultaneously entertaining the AV community. 

“The amount of donations we have received has doubled in my six years [of being involved]. I am pleased to see how generous our community is. The talent also gets better each year,” said AV Drama teacher and Mr. Amador advisor Lynn Kirksey.

Each year, ten of AV’s most charitable~and talented~boys are selected to be the face of Mr. Amador. What some don’t know is that there is also a whole crew of dedicated students putting in hours behind the scenes to make this program what it is. 

The four committees, comprised of 30+ students, are Dance, Publicity, Talent, and Tech. Dance and Talent focus on the entertainment portion of Mr. Amador; Tech and Publicity do more behind the scenes work to fundraise and get the name out there. 

“We are one of the few school events taking place right now which is helping to unify our community at Amador, it’s good to know that students can look forward to watching Mr. Amador events or supporting the cause by going to fundraisers or donating,” said co-director Mia Hildebrand (‘21).

Directors

This program, great in both size and importance, is headed by two student directors. These students are recommended and selected by teachers and past members of the Mr. Amador program, recognized for their dedication towards the House. 

“As co-directors, Mia and I are lucky enough to oversee every aspect of the program! We help guide each of our four committees to complete their goals for the year. We also have lots of fun throughout the year with each of the 10 boys, helping grow their character through the different philanthropic aspects of the program,” said co-director Lauren Sowers (‘21).

Leading this program is no easy task, these directors are working non-stop to keep the magic alive. They also connect with many groups who, although outside of the Mr. Amador team, are still of value to the program.

“We work with our advisors and administration to ensure we are following CASBO rules, we brainstorm creative ways to advertise Mr. Amador, we’re in charge of social media, and we reach out to donors to fundraise as much money as we can for the George Mark Children’s House,” said Hildebrand.

Most all Mr. Amador directors are veterans in the program; these two are seemingly a package deal, coming from different backgrounds within the program. 

“I was a part of the talent committee last year, and I think that really helped me expand my creative thinking and curiosity to try new things with the goal of planning the best act we could,” said Sowers.

Both directors experimented with their creative sides throughout the program last year, and this year they’re able to capitalize on what they’ve learned. 

“I organized a variety of restaurant fundraisers, had booths with handmade jewelry and baked goods at the farmers market, and also decorated graduation caps for donations. Being on the publicity committee taught me a lot about how to fundraise and set up events. This committee helped me become a strong leader because of the insight I had behind the scenes of Mr. Amador,” said Hildebrand.

Dance Coaches

The first of the four committees are the dance coaches; these students work closest with the boys, as they choreograph for them throughout the year. This year there are three dance coaches: Olivia Huyler (‘21), Jade Vantuyl (‘21), and Kendall Witters (‘21).

“In order for these inexperienced boys to be able to learn a dance and then perform it with energy and confidence takes good teachers. I believe Kendall, Olivia, and I are able to do that,” said Vantuyl.

In a typical year, the dance coaches would have two-hour practices with the boys, twice a week. This year, they’re only able to meet over zoom, and send them videos of the choreography to help them. 

“I think the most difficult part about doing this through covid is motivation. We don’t know how or if we’re going to have a big show, so it’s harder to stay motivated,” said Vantuyl.

Talent

The talent committee works on content solely for the show. This year’s members are: Ginger Bernales (‘21), Coco Besson (‘21), Sarah Cabral (‘21), Cortney Fiske (‘22), Talia James (‘21), Katie Jones (‘21), Sahana Kumar (‘22), Shawn Lovesee (‘21), Ariana McFarlane (‘21), Penny Murphy (‘21), and Julia Novi (‘21),

“As a part of the talent committee, my role is to organize and design a talent for one of the Mr. Amador boys,” said Cabral.

Each talent coach is paired with one of the boys and together they craft a performance for the Mr. Amador show. Some boys get to show off something they’ve worked on for years, some discover a hidden talent, and others are just there for the laughs. 

“My role on the talent committee is to make sure my boy has guidance to make his performance for the Mr. Amador shows the best it can be,” said McFarlane.

Tech

The next committee is tech, composed of a group of students who focus on creating content for the program. In this year’s bunch are: Lauren Brown (‘21), Mehrsa Gholikhamseh (‘23), Mona Gholikhamseh (‘21), Suvir Kheny (‘23), Noah Marek (‘21), Madison May (‘23), Dalynn Miller (‘21), and Ana Pachuca Rodriguez (‘21).

“My role so far in the tech committee was to create a couple of reveal videos for the Mr Amador boys. I like my committee because it allows me to work on my tech skills and so far, I’ve got a lot of practice,” said Kheny.

The tech members worked with the boys to help film their introduction videos back in December. The tech crew may be more behind the scenes than others, but their work, both within the committee and for the program as a whole, is just as important as everyone else’s’. 

“My favorite part of Mr. Amador is how people like me can help others in really simple but impactful ways,” said Kheny.

Publicity

Last, but certainly not least, is the publicity committee, who works especially hard this year to get the name out there. On the publicity committee is: Shania Ahmed (‘23), Aubrie Asbery (‘23), Emily Cassetti (‘21), Jenna Ellinghuysen (‘21), Amelia Flores (‘22), Tasha Laberge (‘22), Celeste Murphy (‘23), Sydney Seltzer (‘22), and Sophia Youngberg (‘22).

“On the publicity committee it is our job to handle all of the fundraisers for Mr. Amador. We contact restaurants and host some student fundraisers as well,” said Hope.

As the House functions solely off of donations, it is key that publicity does just as their name defines: publicize. Different members do different things, some focus on contacting possible businesses for fundraisers, while others work on creating their own fundraisers. 

“My role on the publicity committee is mainly working with Mia and Coco on the Handmade 4 The House website, a shop where we sell products and all of the proceeds go towards Mr. Amador,” said Ahmed. 

This year, members created a website to sell their own creations, varying from jewelry to water bottles to house decor! All profits from Handmade 4 the House are donated to the House and they are always adding more items to be sold. 

“We’re usually either coming up with new ideas, managing the website, or making our items! A lot of Mr. Amador fundraisers were in-person as they’re more personal, so we’re trying to get creative with them now and still motivate people to contribute,” said Ahmed.

The group feels optimistic about their efforts and that they will be able to support the George Mark Children’s House just like any other year. 

“I think Mr. Amador has adapted very well to the situation and am looking forward to seeing how much we will raise for the house this year,” said Ellinghuysen.

Teachers

The Mr. Amador program also requires two staff advisors: Kirksey and AV English teacher John Benbenek. The two make sure everything runs smoothly. 

“I have always been in charge of the show, but for about 3 years I was the only advisor and was responsible for everything!  Right now I share responsibilities with Mr. Benbenek. Since I am the drama teacher, the show is always going to be my expertise,” said Kirksey.

While the directors are there for the committees, the teachers are there for the directors, to assist them in any way they may need. 

“The student directors are the real decision-makers and do all of the planning and organizing. Ms. Kirksey and I have split oversight of certain aspects, though. For instance, she oversees the Dance and Talent groups, while I meet with the Tech and Publicity teams,” said Benbenek.

Kirksey and Benbenek have seen Mr. Amador grow and evolve throughout the years, both within the program, and throughout the community. 

“The program grows every year, I am always in awe of the two students who are in charge each year.  They are the heart of the program and accomplish amazing things.  The amount of donations we have received has doubled in my six years.  I am pleased to see how generous our community is,” said Kirksey.

Despite there being uncertainties brought on by COVID-19, such as whether or not there will be a live show, these advisors are confident in this year’s team.

“We have an extremely motivated, energetic, and talented group who are coming up with all kinds of ways to use social media and connect with local businesses for fundraising activities,” said Benbenek.

To stay up to date with Mr. Amador, be sure to follow their Instagram @mramadorshow!