The Murphy School Radio Show, a bi-annual charity event started by Jay Miller, Trinity ’80, will be adding Duke Partners for Youth to its list of beneficiaries this year.
The event—an old-time variety show-style performance—is being held on Nov. 2, and features a multitude of local performers in a way that harkens to the variety television shows of the sixties, said Miller, founder of the Shared Visions Foundation that hosts the event.
“The appeal is multi-facted. It is live and very local—our jokes are about people and performers that are from the surrounding communities,” he said. “There is nothing else like this show in our area.”
In addition to bringing exposure to the charities it supports, the show also spotlights the work of several local artists, said Miller’s wife Ebeth Scott-Sinclair, the program director whose ideas inspired the format of the show.
“We provide a unique venue for the community to became aware of both our artists and nonprofits,” she said. “It is so much fun to see everyone when we come together to work on the show, and I think one of the reasons this community is so close is that we’re all volunteering our time to make something meaningful happen.”
Duke Partners for Youth, a group that pairs Durham high schoolers with mentors from Duke, was chosen to benefit from the event because of what it gives back to the community, said Susan McCraw, assistant director of Partners for Youth.
“Our program has seen consistent success for many years,” she said. “Ninety-five percent of high school students in our program graduate college. We have tons of motivation, good ideas—all we really need now is funding and exposure.”
The process of choosing beneficiaries for the event is very selective, Sinclair said, adding that groups must meet certain criteria before being accepted.
Two beneficiaries—one from Orange County and the other from Durham County—are selected per show, Sinclair said.
“We choose ones working primarily in health and human services that are small in capacity and resources,” she said. “We want to shine a light on these organizations so that people know what they are contributing to the community.”
Volunteers who work for the show see firsthand the influence the event has on both the Duke community and the local charities, said Peter Kramer, Trinity ‘73, a foundation volunteer.
“Duke students love the show because of the good-natured music, theater and literary production put out by the show,” Kramer said. “By getting off campus, [Duke students] are exposed to the rich culture and history and, local charities benefit greatly too.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.