In just one week, the Second Annual Morning Pointe “Seniors Got Talent” variety show will take the stage at 7 p.m. at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre as part of a fun-filled evening of senior talent performances to benefit the Morning Pointe Foundation. Acts on deck for the Thursday, Sept. 16 show include a hand bell choir, a comedian and a host of singers and pianists—all creating a
wonderful night to remember.
“Seniors Got Talent” will feature returning local television celebrity emcee and long-time
Chattanooga news anchor Calvin Sneed. Judges also returning include Carla Pritchard, owner of
Chattanooga Presents; Nina Coppinger, retired longtime music teacher at Cadek Conservatory
and St. Jude School; and Rodney Van Valkenburg, executive director of the Chattanooga Theatre
Centre. New judges for 2021 are Steve Darmody, award-winning Christian recording artist and
Buddy Shirk, local and international organist/pianist. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second
and third place winners, including a $250 cash prize for the top winner.
Tickets are on sale now online for $20 at theatrecentre.com.
“The Morning Pointe Foundation is thrilled to have “Seniors Got Talent” returning to the stage this year,” said Audra Hopkins, executive director of the Foundation. “This event is a fan-favorite here in Chattanooga, helping to raise money for scholarships for nursing students at schools like Chattanooga State, Cleveland State and TCAT Athens to help build the pipeline of future geriatric nurses.”
Tickets for the program can be purchased at the door for $20 or online in advance at
theatrecentre.com. Seating inside the theatre will be socially distanced, following all CDC
recommended guidelines and protocols for indoor activities.
The Morning Pointe Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living
founded by Tennessee-based senior healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin
Farrow. The 501(c)3 nonprofit public service organization was created in 2014 to provide
caregiver support programs, sponsor educational awareness events and fund clinical
scholarships to advance the care of seniors throughout the Southeast. Morning Pointe Senior
Living, headquartered in Chattanooga, develops, owns and manages 35 Morning
Pointe personal care and The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence
communities in five southeastern states.
Building on the 10-year legacy of the “Senior Idol” talent show at the Morning Pointe of Hixson
senior living community, the 2021 competition brings all of the fun and excitement of the classic
event to a wider audience while providing guests with the opportunity to perform in a theatre for
the first time. Last held in 2019, the “Seniors Got Talent, Chattanooga” competition fielded some
wonderfully entertaining acts that brought down the house. Ernestine Eldridge, 92, a resident
of Morning Pointe of Hixson assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care community,
took home the first place prize for a patriotic medley performed on the piano.