A night at the disco with Mr. BFHS

BONNERS FERRY — Friday evening Becker Auditorium was filled with family, friends, community members and students to watch eight high school senior gentlemen compete for Mr. Bonners Ferry High School. 

Mr. BFHS is a tongue-in-cheek, pageant-style competition the seniors organize to raise money for their senior trip. This event is a community favorite, as it always brings in a crowd and leaves them laughing; this year was no exception. 

The theme for the event was A Night At the Disco, and the performance certainly took the crowd back in time with the funky costumes, a glittering disco ball and groovy dance moves. 

The evening began with the national anthem, performed by Markynn Pluid, Shanlee Chaffin and Addy Heigel.

The far out hosts, Emily Winebark and Kassy Skeen, were in character and provided the audience with witty commentary to keep the laughs coming. From the start, the show got the crowd in the mood to boogie as the lights dimmed and the contestants jogged down the auditorium aisles and then up onto the stage where they performed a well-choreographed dance to the fun ‘70s hit, “YMCA.”

The contestants competed in four categories —  fitness, talent, lip sync, and best pick up line. 

The fitness portion was a group effort, with two groups of four demonstrating their aerobic workout routine. 

The talent ranged from musical ability on the piano or guitar to bike riding and ribbon dancing. 

The talent portion brought tons of applause as the young men showed off their skills in a variety of areas. 

Tyson Tadlock wooed the crowd as he performed a dance dressed as Napoleon Dynamite, complete with his vote for Pedro T-shirt.

Jacob Bliss had lots of great information to give as he demonstrated his coaching skills.

Collin Fairchild performed a piece from Harry Potter on the piano, completing the aesthetic by wearing wizard robes and carrying a broom. 

Gunner Miller amazed onlookers as he entered the auditorium on his bicycle and rode down the aisle and up the steps onto the stage where he described how to perform tricks on a bike. 

Troy Randall appeared on stage with his electric guitar and entertained the audience with a song. 

Aiden Beggerly’s performance was a blast from the past as he boogied across the stage to demonstrate his dance moves. 

Chandler Swanson had the crowd laughing while he showed off his ability with impersonations. 

Quentin Beagle took the stage for the final talent performance by entertaining the crowd with his ribbon dancing skills.  

Next up was the lip sync portion of the evening and then they delivered their best pick up lines to beautiful young ladies who they left the stage with arm in arm. 

No matter what category the young men were performing in, they kept the audience engaged and entertained. 

After an intermission for the judges to decide which of these talented contestants would take the title of Mr. BFHS, the young men escorted their proud mothers across the stage and then lined up for the final announcements. 

The judges were left with a tough decision, but ultimately, the title of Mr. BFHS was awarded to Gunner Miller. First runner up was awarded to Chandler Swanson and the second runner up went to Aiden Beggerly.

The organizers do not have numbers yet on how much was raised for the senior trip, but the average the last few years has been around $2,000. 

"Our boys worked incredibly hard to make Mr. BFHS the best performance for Boundary County,” Jaycee Atkins, leadership teacher said. “Some of these boys are quiet and shy, so stepping out to perform was a huge accomplishment, but we are immensely proud of them. Professionally, I have worked with these boys since they were in 7th grade, and witnessing their growth into fine young men has been a blessing. I cannot wait to see where their life takes them with their huge personalities.” 

Senior class advisors Linda Mcleish, Jaycee Atkins, Rob Gonzoles and Catherine Delsalle, organized the show. 

The judges for this event were Travis and Kelly Hinthorn, Mike and Tonja Ferguson, Mike and Ashley Martinez.

    Chandler Swanson shares his gift of impressions during the talent portion of Mr. BFHS. He finished as first runner up.
  

    Aiden Beggerly showed off he groovy dance moves at Mr. BFHS, earning him second runner up.
  

    Quentin Beagle shows off his ribbon dancing talent at Mr. BFHS.