Let the curtains fall on another successful fundraiser

MANASQUAN — The curtains rose and fell on another wildly successful fundraiser hosted by the Liv Morro Foundation over the weekend.

Last Friday, the Liv Morro Foundation returned to Bar Anticipation in Lake Como for a fundraiser to benefit the Manasquan High School Theater Department. The event featured an open bar, barbecue, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle.

Throughout the evening, students of the Manasquan High School theater department also performed several numbers, showcasing what they do throughout the school year.

Students who performed were Gracie Visceglia, Mirabelle Elliott, Shaun Etienne, Casey Finnegan, Cormac Lawrence, Joshua Jones, Olivia Maes, Janelle Slovak, Bridget Freeman, Moly McCarthy, Maeve Korth, Christopher Rechner, Emma Bennett, Jack Nicolay and Maddi Schille.

Some of the numbers the students performed were “I Know It’s Today” and “Freak Flag” from Shrek the Musical and even some non-musical songs such as “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire.

Mark Morro, Liv’s father and board member of the foundation, told The Coast Star, “We are continuing to raise funds for the renovation of the Manasquan High School auditorium. We have been working in conjunction with the Manasquan High School Alumni Foundation.”

Last year, the entire auditorium had a massive face lift, with new seats, lights and sound and microphone equipment. With those renovations complete, the foundation has turned its attention towards the stage’s curtain.

“This year, our fundraiser is focusing on purchasing a new curtain and window treatments for the auditorium,” said Mark Morro, who said that’s why the event theme is “Raise the Curtain.”

“In addition to raising money for the auditorium renovation, we are continuing to support the theater arts in our area by providing scholarship awards. We are also going to be working with all of the sending districts, to start to have a type of camp. We want to start introducing the theater to those eighth-grade students who are coming to the school,” said Mark Morro.

He said, “The passion Liv had for theater is the same passion a lot of kids out there have and wanted to make it available to them. We want to make sure that program and that theater continues to stand the test of time.”

After the successful evening, Mark Morro said, “The event went off even better than last year. We had perfect weather. The service from Bar A staff was fantastic and we had great entertainment by our students.”

While the full totals are still to be calculated, Mark Morro said the fundraiser easily raised over $30,000 at this year’s event.

Paige Morro, Liv’s mother and president of the organization, said at the fundraiser, “We knew we wanted to create our foundation in Liv’s memory to honor her legacy. We knew our mission was to support the performing arts at (Manasquan High School) and possibly in the future to help the other schools in our community.”

She told The Ocean Star that theater is so important because it’s “a place where children will prosper and grow and have the tools they need for their studies and performances, a place that encourages healthy mental health where our children can feel comfortable and welcomed.”

Paige Morro explained that theater was such a special place for her own daughter, and wants to share this gift with everyone, whether they participate in theater, or just simply watch it.

Mark Morro also wanted to thank all the staff and volunteers of the high school, Bar A, Liv Morro Foundation and especially the community for continuing to support the organization and making the evening such a success.

This is an excerpt of the print article. For more on this story, read The Coast Star —on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.

Check out our other Manasquan stories, updated daily. And remember to pick up a copy of The Coast Star —on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition .

Subscribe today! If you're not already an annual subscriber to The Coast Star , get your subscription today! For just $38 per year, you will receive local mail delivery weekly, with pages and pages of local news and online access to our e-edition on Starnewsgroup.com.