Mr. & Ms. EVIT Got Talent

Today was the Mr. & Ms. EVIT Got Talent Show! The Mr. & Ms. EVIT candidates got to strut their stuff and prove to their fellow students why they should be new face of EVIT.

In the AM, there was singing...

And dancing...

And tennis...

And... chip eating?

I must say... he did eat the chips rather well.

In the PM, there was more dancing:

And rapping:

And handstanding!


Tomorrow (Saturday) is the last day to vote for your favorite candidates! Vote with your wallet by dropping change and bills into the jar for the students who you think should be the next Mr. & Ms. EVIT. The proceeds benefit Mesa United Way, and the winners will be crowned at the conclusion of the EVIT Expo!

Introducing...

.... this year's Mr. and Ms. EVIT finalists!

AM classes

Ms. finalists
Rachel Howard
Kadalena Abraham
Mariah DeWald
Lauren Sparks
Hailey Reimus
Shelby Montgomery
Kayla Clyde

Mr. finalists
Christian Milano
Michael Shirley
Chase Deal

PM classes

Ms. finalists
Arye Lopez
Patricia Delmar
Skyler Harmon
Bianca Du Prey

Mr. finalists
Hugo Moreno
Cody Cave

EVIT students will chose a Mr. and Ms. EVIT from the morning and afternoon to represent their classes at various school-wide events, including EVIT Expo and the Completion Ceremony. Students vote by donating money into their favorite candidate's jar (located at the front desk in Building 1). The candidates with the most money by 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29 (at EVIT Expo!) will be crowned the new Mr. and Ms. EVIT!

Students attended assemblies today to meet their candidates. The candidates introduced themselves, told the students a little bit about them, and then did a little dancing.

(From left to right, Radio teacher Steve Grosz, Mariah, Rachel, Kadalena, Shelby, Kayla, Hailey, and Lauren)

(From left to right: Christian, Mr. Grosz, Chase, and Michael)

(Arye, Bianca, Skyler, Patricia, Hugo and Cody show off their best moves.)

All money collected will be donated to the Mesa United Way. Last year's candidates raised about $1,000 -- Let's see if we can top that this year!

Last year's winners: Monica Leftwich and Cruz Olguin in PM and Marc Reidhead and Charity Fuller in AM.

EVIT Students have Penny Wars for United Way

The gloves are off and East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) Mesa United Way Teams are competing to see which students can collect the most pennies. But it isn't just nice penny collecting. Students can sabotage the other teams by putting larger valued coins and paper money into their opponents' jars. The team has to remove an equal value of pennies for all larger denominations...so some of the teams are already in the "hole" for the competition, but garnering big donations for Mesa United Way.

Assemblies were held for all EVIT students with pep rallies led by the four Team Leaders who oversee EVIT's forty programs.

EVIT was honored with the "Heart of Mesa" Award for Mesa United Way in Spring 2010. It is the commitment of the students, staff and administration to be creative and participate on every level for this great organization.

"Heart of Mesa" award presented to EVIT board

Mesa United Way officials visited the EVIT governing board meeting on Monday to officially present the "Heart of Mesa" Award to the school.

EVIT staff and students received the award for their extraordinary efforts in raising nearly $16,000 last school year to support the Mesa United Way.

"Things like that don't just happen because people want to want to win an award," said Dan Wollam, Mesa United Way's interim executive director. "They want to move their community to a higher level."

Dan Wollam speaking to the EVIT governing board on Monday night.

EVIT met and exceeded each standard set for the Heart of Mesa Award, including a high participation rate among the staff and various gift levels.

Read more about how EVIT raised the money here.

EVIT is the "Heart of Mesa"

EVIT staff and students were honored at the Mesa United Way's Annual Recognition and Awards Luncheon on Wednesday for raising nearly $16,000 this year!

EVIT received the prestigious "Heart of Mesa" Award, which reflects its achievement in three areas: a participation rate of at least 60 percent of the staff, a per capita gift of $100 per person or higher, and an average gift of $150 per person or higher.

Superintendent Dr. Sally Downey, who is also the campaign's co-chair, announced the award and invited staff and students attending the lunch to come on stage for recognition:


Staff and students raised the money over the course of the school year through a variety of fundraisers, including payroll deductions, staff cookbook sales, the Mr. and Ms. EVIT contest, student fashion show ticket sales, and participation in the Live United Walk United event. Two administrators even followed through on a promise to shave their heads if we met our goal!

Great job, everyone!

Off goes the rest!

Mr. Fisher and Mr. Williams just lost the rest of their hair in front of the PM students. (Read how this all came about here.)


I sort of miss the half-shaved-half-not look, if I'm being honest. But I think they're rocking this out, too.

Shaving for a good cause

Earlier this school year, the EVIT staff made a goal: We wanted to raise $8,500 for the Mesa United Way. Campus Director James Fisher and Team Leader Chris Williams were so supportive of this goal that they offered to have their hair shaved if we made it.

(Or maybe they had no say and were volunteered... we can't quite remember.)

Anyway, not only did EVIT reach its goal -- we FAR surpassed it, raising more than $13,000! Wow! EVIT staff and students have been hard at work all year, raising this money by participating in the Live United Walk United event, donating change during the Mr. and Ms. EVIT contest, selling EVIT staff cook books, and various other fundraising efforts.

So today we are celebrating... by doing a bit of shaving.

A "before" shot of the very apprehensive Mr. Williams and Mr. Fisher:


Mr. Williams was brave enough to go first, and was shaved by two public relations staff members, Doris Moore and Patrick Jervis:


And then Mr. Fisher took the stage and was shaved by health staff members Sharon Black, Ronda Doolen and Jon Howell:


Only half of their heads were shaved so that the PM students could enjoy a little of the fun, too. I think they're enjoying their new looks.

Walking for a good cause

EVIT staff and students came out to downtown Mesa on Saturday to support the Mesa United Way in the "Live United Walk United" event.

EVIT folks have spent the past several weeks raising money for the event, bringing in more than $3,100 so far -- and the donations are still pouring in! Half of the money raised goes to United Way, and half comes back to EVIT!

Here is EVIT Superintendent Dr. Sally Downey at the event with Ms. EVIT Monica Leftwich:


And some of the EVIT health students, who walked the three miles in their program scrubs:


Thank you to all who raised money and walked for such a great cause!