Earlier this month, Brewster High School hosted the eleventh annual Mr. Brewster Spectacular. The beloved tradition requires months of preparation (including rehearsals over winter break) and ends with an incredible evening and thousands of dollars raised to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. This year, 11 participants raised $32,433, bringing the 11-year total to just under $400,000.
The event is more or less a variety show, with high school boys singing, dancing, performing and leaving the crowd in non-stop laughter. At the end, a winner is crowned.
Brewster High School’s Salty Hands club runs the event, working closely with Eva Tarletsky from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as well as Brian McPartland and his mom, Lisa. Brian is a Brewster High School graduate who lives with cystic fibrosis and is the club’s inspiration for all of the work they have done since 2012.
This year, all 11 participants made it to the stage to perform their special talents:
- Jack Jordan and Shane Daly had a WWE-style wrestling match
- Parker Arenas sang "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal
- Noel Kakkanattu and Sean Pawlowski played trumpets
- Owen Lennon sang "The Girl from Ipanema" by Stan Getz in Portuguese
- Chris Donohue and Dom Rienzi sang duets
- Nick Sayegh and Logan Shelley did beach ball dancing
- Shane McLaughlin did a Napoleon Dynamite dance
While we think they are all winners, a few stood out to the judges. Dom Rienzi was crowned Mr. Brewster, with Owen Lennon coming in second and Sean Pawlowski coming in third. Shane McLaughlin won Best Dancer and Nick Sayegh won Cutest Baby.
Here is what each of the boys had to say about being a part of Mr. Brewster:
Dominic Rienzi: Being a part of Mr. Brewster means a lot to me. When I was a little kid my parents and doctors thought I had Cystic Fibrosis. It was a scary few months for everyone involved until they were told I didn't. As a sixth grader, my older siblings took me to my first Mr. Brewster show. I couldn't wait to actually be in it myself as a senior. I decided to do Mr. Brewster because of the fun participants have. And it's always amazing how much money you can raise together in just a couple of weeks.
Parker Arenas: Being a part of Mr. Brewster brings a sense of community and togetherness. Over the past four years, I have had the pleasure of being a part of Salty Hands at Brewster High School, which donates thousands of dollars each year to help CF. Being a club member has been a great honor and becoming secretary this past year was even more of an honor. I am over the moon to be a part of Mr. Brewster this year. I have talked to Brian McPartland (a Brewster High School graduate and the reason the club was started) several times both in and out of club meetings and he is the nicest guy ever. He is part of the reason why CF and Mr. Brewster mean so much to me. Every year great strides are made towards research for treatment and a cure for this disease. It wouldn't be possible without events like Mr. Brewster. I want to raise as much money as I can because the world needs more people like Brian, who I admire for always having a positive attitude even though every day he faces is ten times harder than every one I face.
Shane Daly: It's an honor to be allowed to help others who, by no fault of their own, have been afflicted with CF.
Chris Donohue: I love helping out in the community. Any time I have the opportunity to help or potentially save someone's life I would love to partake in it. I am very active in the community and doing my best to give back. Mr. Brewster gives me an opportunity to give back and raise money to help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
Sean Pawlowski: Being a part of Mr. Brewster allows me to be an active member in the Brewster community but, more importantly, it allows me to raise money for an important cause. Mr. Brewster would just be an okay competition among seniors if it did not have the goal of raising money for Cystic Fibrosis. With the main purpose of raising money for CF, Mr. Brewster is an unforgettable, energizing night for not only the participants and Brewster community, but for the CF community across the nation.
Noel Kakkanattu: By being a part of Mr. Brewster, I'm able to do two things. One, I'm able to perform as a part of the Mr. Brewster event. As a contestant, this means a lot to me because I'm able to bring joy to our community and bring a sense of togetherness and school spirit, which is especially needed after COVID-19. And two, I'm able to raise money to further Cystic Fibrosis research. Even though I do not personally know anyone affected by Cystic Fibrosis, there are many people who are. Having the opportunity to help further research to find a cure for this disease makes me even more grateful to be a part of Mr. Brewster.
Owen Lennon: To me, being a part of Mr. Brewster means I am presented with an opportunity to help people who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis. Over the years, Mr. Brewster has become such a huge event in our school and in our community, so I understand that being a part of such an event means I will have to be fully dedicated to the cause. Being a part of Mr. Brewster is an honor, and I will be happy to work alongside so many great people.
Jack Jordan: Being a part of Mr. Brewster means being able to contribute to something larger than myself. Mr. Brewster gives me the opportunity to do my part in creating a more fair and equal world by helping raise money in order to find a cure for CF. Through communal contributions, we all can help make strides towards a cure and that to me is exciting.
Shane McLaughlin: Being a part of Mr. Brewster not only creates a life lasting experience but it brings a community together to fight for the cure of this devastating disease that has taken the lives of too many. It defines who Brewster really is and sends a message that we will never stop fighting to try and save lives from this disease.
Money Collected:
2012 total $3,916.89
2013 total $8,300.00
2014 total $12,488.34
2015 total $28,831.41
2016 total $26,939.70
2017 total $35,081.35
2018 total $56,520.77
2019 total $59,560.79
2020 total $80,677.57
2021 total $51,437
2022 total $32,433
Total:
$396,186.82