Sunday night was full of teamwork and entertainment when the fourth annual ‘Charger’s Got Talent!’ returned to the University of New Haven. The Charger Gymnasium was filled with dozens of spectators ready to watch the University’s athletes put on a show, competing for the honor of first place. The entire night was not only filled with fun and talent, it was also a special benefit event to earn money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The talent show consisted of 13 different acts by the major sports teams, the heat was on for everyone to give it their all and win the hearts of the judges and the audience members. The teams were judged based on the overall creativity, team involvement, execution, and entertainment of their act, with the chance of earning up to 40 possible points to become the champions of Charger’s Got Talent!. Members of the athletic and academic departments served as judges, including Coach Kevin McGonigal, faculty representative Mary Miller, Office of Academic Success member Lynn DeRobertis, and Office of Undergraduate Admissions representative Rob Holub. On top of all of that, the event had special performances from the New Haven Dance Team, Monsoon, and Poetry Club.

The athletes showed off their Charger pride with unique spectacles all throughout the evening. The University Step Team kicked things off with an empowering dance, living up to their team’s name with strong rhythms showcasing their hard work and dedication. The Women’s Basketball team gave the crowd a fashion show of school clothing, while the Dance Team fused the infamous “Cup Song” and traditional tap dance into a rhythmic, energizing routine. The Volleyball Team even performed a synchronized swim to “Swan Lake”, impressively without water. Even the athletic staff got involved and competed in a Chubby Bunny-esque marshmallow eating contest. Everyone in the audience was just as excited to watch, as the students in the spotlight were to perform.

The spectators were ready and eager to see their friends and peers show off their skills for charity. Students Zoe Laird and Mike Cameron came to watch the Volleyball team, supporting their friends on the team. The other teams were also excited to watch their fellow athletes compete.

“Most of us are excited for it,” Baseball Team representative Devin Dimascio explained, as the team was preparing for their Hula-Hoop sing off routine. The members of Women’s Lacrosse were also ready for the night, saying that it “feels good since it’s for a charitable cause,” and loved how all of the teams were contributing and bringing everyone together. Everyone was pumped up to help out Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to earn the money for the Division II Make-A-Wish fundraiser.

“’Charger’s Got Talent!’ is an annual event to fundraise for Make-A-Wish. It was fun was to earn money for charity and have the athletes perform fun skits,” explained Keira Mezei, Women’s Vice President for SAAC.

The show is a fun way to bring together the students of the University in order to help grant a sick child’s wish. The hope was that the night of festivities would help SAAC to reach their total goal of $7,500 this year, to contribute to the total fund brought in by the Division II student-athletes. Last year, SAAC was able to achieve their goal of $7,000 for the Division II fundraiser’s total of $600 thousand to help Make-A-Wish help a child’s wish come true.

By the end of the night, SAAC was able to raise $900 to contribute to their fundraiser. The first place spot went to the Women’s Tennis Team, whose two woman dance team took the crowd by storm. The athletes gave it their all to put on performances to draw in quite a crowd, and showed off some impressive performances, making the fourth annual ‘Charger’s Got Talent!’ a memorable one.