Joel Perkins of The Mud Brothers, AutoCorrect and The Bi***in’ Syncs Team come out on top at inaugural Sync for Survivors Benefit
August 22, 2024
With a crowd of 400 guests cheering wildly with rainbow-lit glow sticks, this first-time event for the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance (“CSPA”) raised an impressive $200,000 to expand programming within the Park. Joel Perkins of The Mud Brothers, one of the eight teams performing in Cancer Survivors Park Alliance’s Sync for Survivors benefit, was declared the event’s individual fundraising winner, while the AutoCorrect and The Bi***in’ Syncs team was named the overall team winner of the evening. Perkins performed “Soul Man” by The Blues Brothers with friend Richy Milligan under the team name The Mud Brothers, and the AutoCorrect and The Bi***in’ Syncs team, Zeeshan Ali, MD, Mechelle Allen, Kayce Beville, Sam Inman and Victoria Welch, together performed “Love Shack” by the B52s.
“Sync for Survivors was a magical evening of celebration! We were incredibly impressed by the dedication of the performers, the support of our sponsors and vendors, and the high level of engagement from the audience,” stated Kay Roper, who serves as the Executive Director of CSPA. “This was truly an extraordinary opportunity to connect all those touched by cancer in a fun and unique way.”
The evening’s Emcee, Emmy Award-winning local anchor Jane Robelot of WYFF4, whose sister Natalie Gibson passed away from Stage 4 ovarian cancer, is a loyal supporter of CSPA and was delightful and entertaining on-stage.
Taking place on-stage at Greenville Theatre, Sync for Survivors welcomed guests under a grand tent on Heritage Green under which a beautiful, delicious array of food and beverages – including a Wellness Shot Bar – were served courtesy of the event’s Opening Act sponsor, Larkin’s. The program included performances by eight teams, with a 15-minute intermission. Guests were encouraged to submit votes for their favorite acts during the show, with updated tallies for each performer appearing on two digital leaderboards.
Event Chair and CSPA Board Member Elizabeth Perkins, CSPA’s Associate Director Laura Coleman Nickles, and Kay Roper joined the event planning team from Flourish to bring this event to life.
“It was amazing to see the community come together to support an inaugural event in such a fun and engaging way,” said Elizabeth Perkins.
“Syncing” for Hope and Healing
Twenty Upstate locals participated as performers in the inaugural Sync for Survivors. They included local personalities; leaders in healthcare, business, education, hospitality, construction, and real estate; government officials; and cancer survivors. They formed eight teams which collectively earned votes, each at a value of $10 per vote to achieve the fundraising goal. Their song choices ranged from Carrie Underwood’s “The Champion” to the B52’s “Love Shack.” Teams received professional choreography courtesy of SHOCK Dance Center in Mauldin, S.C.
Zeeshan Ali, MD — Hematology Oncologist at Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Center
Mechelle Allen, LMSW — Board member of the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance and Adolescent and Young Adult Life Specialist at Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Center
Kayce Beville, RN — Hematology Nurse Navigator at Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Center
Heath Calhoun — Project Manager at McDonald Enterprises
Beck Dugas — Senior Account Executive at TPM
Adam Hayes — Owner and CFO at Larkin’s
Sam Inman — Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Center
Richy Milligan — Chief Sales Officer at Eastern Industrial Supplies, Inc.
Tracy Nickles — Manager of Brass Bee Salon
Joel Perkins — President of John Perkins Industries, Inc.
Crissy Posner— Marketing and Events Specialist at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
Allen Pruitt — Director of Operations at Community Journals
Nancy Revilla —Board Member of the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance
Angela Rodriguez Sawyer — Founder and Broker-in-Charge of Encore Realty
Liz Seman — Chief of Staff and Liaison to the Board of Trustees at Furman University, and Greenville County Council Member representing District 24
Rebecca Smart — Senior at Hampton Park Christian High School
Janell Strickland— Talent and Training Manager at Find Great People
Anna Tatum Swing — REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Caine
Victoria Welch — Hematology Nurse Navigator at Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Center
Rashad Williams — Emmy Award-Winning Anchor/Reporter at WYFF4
A Rally of Support through Sponsorship
Thirty-one organizations answered the call to sponsor the Sync for Survivors lip sync battle benefiting CSPA.
Opening Act Sponsors ($10,000+)
The Fred Collins Foundation
Gossett Concrete Pipe Co.
Larkin’s Catering & Events
Evans Construction
Infinity Marketing
Celebrity Performer Sponsors ($5,000+)
Drs. Hal and Mary Fran Croswell
Gibbs Cancer Center
SHOCK Dance Center
Smart Family Foundation
Flourish Marketing | PR | Events
Sliced Tomato Productions
Southern First Bank
Greenville Journal
Exclusive Properties
Green Room Sponsors ($2,500+)
Bon Secours Health System
The McCall Foundation
Greenville Print Solutions
The Brass Bee Salon
Greenville WebWorks
AVL Solutions
Truline
South State Bank
Fan Club
($1,000+)
Bannister, Wyatt & Stalvey, LLC
Anna Tatum Swing, REALTOR®
TPM
WYFF4
Door Systems
Greyrock
Karla C. Elrod
Betty King
Ronald Foster
