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STEUBENVILLE -- A yearly tradition celebrating veterans will bring together speakers and entertainment pooled from past Valley's Got Talent participants on Veterans Day, the event's organizer said.
The City of Steubenville Veterans Day Program will take place at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Sycamore Youth Center. Several speakers will offer individuals reflections, followed by patriotic performances by Valley's Got Talent winners and finalists.
Organizing the program is the youth center's director, Bobbyjon Bauman, who said the program will be "a day to honor the veterans through inspirational speeches and youth performances that will hopefully inspire people to be in a greater appreciation for the veterans' sacrifice for our nation."
The program will begin with a presentation of colors by the Boy Scouts of America Troop 3 of Steubenville. Following that will be an invocation by Kabron Harris, a Steubenville High School freshman and Sycamore Corps volunteer, and "The Star-Spangled Banner" performed by Thomas Graham, former Jefferson County commissioner.
After the Pledge of Allegiance, attendees will hear from Steubenville Mayor Jerry Barilla, who will offer a welcome address. Afterward will be a Veterans Day reflection by retired Marine Sgt. Jack Ernst, founder and president of We Believe Ministries Inc.
Next, a POW/MIA Empty Table ceremony will take place. The solemn ceremony, characterized by a white-clothed table with an empty chair, is meant to remember all prisoners of war and missing-in-action service members.
Steve Forte, program manager for the Sycamore Corps, will offer a youth reflection before the performances begin. The first performance will feature Graham singing "In the Garden." Following Graham will be a patriotic song performed by Nikolas Kline, 2022 and 2023 VGT kids finalist.
Gemma Messenger, 2022 and 2023 VGT kids finalist, will sing "Mr. Red White and Blue," and Connie Brookes, four-times VGT vocal and group winner, will sing a patriotic song.
Bailey McKnight, 2023 VGT vocal soloist winner, will sing "Don't Stop Believin'," followed by Pamela Bauman, who will perform a flute solo of "God Bless the U.S.A."
Rounding off the program will be a dance routine to the tune of "America the Beautiful," performed by Lynzee Ensell, 2021 VGT overall winner, and Dalana Bove, 2023 overall kids winner.
Having organized talent for the Veterans Day programs for around eight years, Bauman said he likes to get youth involved in the programs to "inspire them to be grateful for the sacrifice the veterans made for our nation."
Bauman said the program is meaningful to him as the father of a current military service members, who will be heading to Kuwait in a few months.
"I'm definitely supportive of those who try and preserve our nation's safety for the sake and future of our children," Bauman said. "I appreciate the sacrifice that veterans have made in the past, and I think they should be honored because what they did was an honorable thing -- to serve our nation."
Previous years' Veterans Day programs, beginning around 2008, were organized with help from Dan Wilson, commander of AMVETS Post 275. Wilson said the program was started as early as 2004, originally hosted by the Veterans Service Commission in conjunction with American Legion Post 33.
Wilson, one of five commissioners on the Veterans Service Commission's board, said his role in previous years has been gathering individuals to serve as speakers or entertainment. The planning team began working with Bauman a few years ago and this year let him take the lead on planning.
"The kids do such a nice job," said Wilson, an Air Force veteran who served from 1985 until 2004. "It really turns into a nice program for the veterans. ... It's a really nice cap for Veterans Day to honor those folks who served from whatever era -- a real feel-good celebration."
Bauman noted that this year's Valley's Got Talent -- "a talent show hosted by the Ohio Valley Youth Network and Sycamore Youth Center for the purpose of amplifying inspirational voices and recognizing talent in the form of vocals, dance, instruments, group song and more," according to the youth center's website -- will be held at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at Steubenville High School.
Auditions for VGT will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the Sycamore Youth Center and from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at Edison High School. Individuals can also send in video audition submissions to bobbyjonbauman@gmail.com. For information, visit sycamorecenter.com/vgt.