The fifth annual Owensboro’s Lip Sync Battle, the primary fundraiser for Puzzle Pieces, raised $136,457 for the nonprofit Saturday night.
Sponsorships, team fundraising, and ticket sales from the event lead to Puzzle Pieces’ largest amount raised from the Lip Sync Battle event — adding up to $25,000 more than the last event.
Ten teams performed in the 2022 show, which was sponsored by Kentucky Legend. The show kicked off with special performances by emcees Chad Benefield and Angel Welsh, radio personalities from WBKR.
Competitors included the following (winners of each battle listed first):
- Crash Carts (Owensboro Community & Technical College Nursing Program) vs. Code Red (University of Louisville Nursing Program) — voting postponed
- Mom Squad vs. High Heel Heroes (two groups of moms friends of Puzzle Pieces)
- Package Pushers (UPS) vs. Letter Lovers (United States Postal Service)
- Savage Stars (South Hancock Elementary) vs. Prowling Panthers (Daviess County Middle School)
- Handcuffed Hunnies (Owensboro Police Department wives) vs. Hose Handlers (Owensboro Fire Department wives)
Of the 10 teams that fundraised for the event, the team that secured the most donations for Puzzle Pieces came from the Hose Handlers with more than $13,000 raised, earning the Community Piece Award. Additionally, the Mom Squad, a group of moms and friends of Puzzle Pieces, was voted Owensboro Lip Sync Battle’s Overall Champion.
“We could not do what we do without the support of the Owensboro community through this event,” Puzzle Pieces Executive Director Amanda Owen said. “From the sponsors to the performers to the ticket buyers — they each play a part in supporting our clients.”
This year marks Puzzle Pieces’ 10-year anniversary, something the nonprofit intends to celebrate all year long. The Lip Sync Battle was the first of 10 planned events in a Decade Drive, a series of fundraisers that Owen and her team hope will bring $300,000 by the end of the year.
“We are very proud to have been serving our clients and our community for 10 years,” Owen said. “Our Decade Drive is intended to celebrate our last 10 years, but also to propel us forward for the next 10 years.”
