NEWS RELEASE

Talented seniors from central Kentucky area took the stage at the Lexington Opera House on Aug. 11 for the Morning Pointe Foundation’s annual “Seniors Got Talent” showcase.

First place and the $500 cash prize went to pianist Lutisha Coleman, 89, for her dynamic performance of “How Great Thou Art.”

“I won – yay!” said Coleman. “I certainly didn’t think I was going to win – there was so much talent out there.”

Coleman, a retired music teacher, has been playing piano since age 5. She has accompanied many performers throughout the years, and even has a scholarship in her name for music majors at Kentucky State, where she earned an undergraduate degree.

The event included residents of the Danville facility.

Second place went to the Flat Out Fun Dance Team, ages 67-85, who danced to “Girls with Guitars.”

The dance team formed in 2007 as an off-shoot of a “Let’s Dance” class at a local YMCA. The members started off performing in nursing homes and assisted living facilities and have since expanded to perform at events such as the American Heart Association’s local Go Red luncheon, at the ALS Walk, the Junior Leagues’ Holly Day Market and UK Women’s Basketball games.

Flautist Lydia DiMartino-Ellis, 62, took third place with her performance of “Climb Every Mountain” on a one-handed flute.

DiMartino-Ellis started playing the flute in the fourth grade, but six years ago, a stroke left her partially paralyzed. Since then, she switched to a one-handed Native American-style flute.

Dillon Gaudet, morning meteorologist with ABC36, served as the emcee for the evening.

Eight individual senior performers and two groups performed at this year’s Morning Pointe Foundation Seniors Got Talent, Lexington variety show.

The senior talent show was produced by the Morning Pointe Foundation in conjunction with Morning Pointe Senior Living. Proceeds support the foundation’s mission of providing nursing scholarships at schools like Eastern Kentucky University and Bluegrass Community and Technical College, and funding caregiver support programs.

“The inspiration is, no matter how old you are, you can always fulfill your childhood dream,” said Morning Pointe Foundation executive director Miranda Perez.

The Morning Pointe Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living. 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.

Founded in 1997, Morning Pointe Senior Living owns and operates 37 senior living, personal care and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in five southeastern states.