*Update: Due to weather and predicted rain, Gretna’s Got Talent had been cancelled for this upcoming Saturday, Sept. 21. Organizers for the event plan on setting a date for next summer.
With every year, more Gretna families send their children to schools within the district and become familiar with everything Gretna Public Schools has to offer. Hoping to reach those families, Holly Radke, the director of the Gretna Public Schools Foundation, has organized a talent show to introduce the foundation’s mission and how they support Gretna students and families.
“Our goal is to really just show the community who the foundation is and what we are doing to support them,” Radke said. “It’s just a great way to be a community partner. We (also) thought it was a great way for the foundation to get in front of the community and showcase all the great things that are going on in the City of Gretna.”
The talent show will be held at the new Gretna Auto Amphitheater at the Gretna Crossing Park on Sept. 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. Event organizers want to have as many acts as possible within that time frame so they are currently looking for more acts of any kind.
“It does not have to be a singing talent,” Radke said. “I want it to really be like ‘America’s Got Talent.’ I mean, come out and juggle, come out and show us something unique and different. It doesn’t have to be singing and singing is great so far; that’s primarily what we have had sign up.”
The Gretna Public Schools Foundation is a non-profit organization responsible for giving out scholarships to seniors and grants to teachers within the district. They have hosted events before, but Radke is aiming to increase that amount to reach more families.
“I was hired two years ago to take on the role of the executive director,” Radke said. “We had previously just been run by a volunteer board, so we have not done a lot of events, and that is why I feel like this event is so important to show people that we have a foundation that is supporting our school district here, because we have such great schools.”
Mayor Mike Evans and Gretna Chamber of Commerce community engagement coordinator Carrie Reitmeier are planning on performing in the talent show together, although their act has not been revealed, as well as the GHS modern accapella class made up of juniors and seniors. Additionally, Reitmeier is assisting Radke in spreading the word about the talent show.
“The Chamber of Commerce will mostly support the event by putting it out on our social media,” Reitmeier said. “We reach about 30,000 people on our Gretna Chamber Facebook page. We will also email it out to our 350 members.”
Radke, Reitmeier and several other people will act as judges for the event. The prizes have yet to be revealed on social media. To register as a solo or group act, those interested can go to the GPS Foundation website. Single or solo acts cost $10 to register and group acts cost $20.
