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PITTSBURG —
If you want to put together a benefit performance, it really helps to have a talented relative who’s happy to perform for free.
“My sister Cassy called last year and asked if I’d do a magic show for ALS, and I said yes,” said Jay Temaat, teen magician.
He said yes again this year, and presented a show Tuesday in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom, Overman Student Center, Pittsburg State University.
Cassy Temaat, his older sister, said that she became involved with the battle against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS and Lou Gehrig’s disease, because her maternal grandfather was affected by the disease.
“I’m very grateful to have such an awesome brother who will do this for free,” she said.
Cassy has also had some other help with the benefit.
“Last year Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority put it on, and this year the main organization helping is the Kansas Association of Family and Consumer Sciences,” she said. “I’m vice president of both organizations. I’ll be graduating with a degree in family and consumer sciences, and I’ll be a teacher.”
Her brother, a Frontenac High School sophomore, was introduced to magic by a family friend, Skip Foley of Wichita, and Temaat was very pleased to have Foley in the audience for the Tuesday show.
The show included Temaat’s color-changing vest and one of his favorite tricks, colorful glowing canes, which was developed by Jeff McBride. A few years ago he saved up $300 to buy a cane, and now works with two of them. Other tricks included sawing a woman in two and “Metamorphosis,” in which he magically changes places with a handcuffed woman in a padlocked wooden crate.
There were some limitations on his tricks this time.
“Some of the tricks used fire, and we weren’t allowed to have fire in the building,” Cassy said.
“But I respected that, and I worked around it, using humor,” Temaat said.
Temaat, son of Brad and Stacy Temaat, received a $1,500 scholarship to attend a master class at Jeff McBride’s Magic and Mystery School.
“I recently went to the International Brotherhood of Magicians convention at Dallas, and that went well,” Temaat said. “I’m going to be doing a benefit Oct. 29 at Lamar, Mo., for the Chamber of Commerce there, and will have some of my magician friends with me. I’ll also be doing the Spooktacular in Pittsburg this year.”
If you want to put together a benefit performance, it really helps to have a talented relative who’s happy to perform for free.
“My sister Cassy called last year and asked if I’d do a magic show for ALS, and I said yes,” said Jay Temaat, teen magician.
He said yes again this year, and presented a show Tuesday in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom, Overman Student Center, Pittsburg State University.
Cassy Temaat, his older sister, said that she became involved with the battle against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS and Lou Gehrig’s disease, because her maternal grandfather was affected by the disease.
“I’m very grateful to have such an awesome brother who will do this for free,” she said.
Cassy has also had some other help with the benefit.
“Last year Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority put it on, and this year the main organization helping is the Kansas Association of Family and Consumer Sciences,” she said. “I’m vice president of both organizations. I’ll be graduating with a degree in family and consumer sciences, and I’ll be a teacher.”
Her brother, a Frontenac High School sophomore, was introduced to magic by a family friend, Skip Foley of Wichita, and Temaat was very pleased to have Foley in the audience for the Tuesday show.
The show included Temaat’s color-changing vest and one of his favorite tricks, colorful glowing canes, which was developed by Jeff McBride. A few years ago he saved up $300 to buy a cane, and now works with two of them. Other tricks included sawing a woman in two and “Metamorphosis,” in which he magically changes places with a handcuffed woman in a padlocked wooden crate.
There were some limitations on his tricks this time.
“Some of the tricks used fire, and we weren’t allowed to have fire in the building,” Cassy said.
“But I respected that, and I worked around it, using humor,” Temaat said.
Temaat, son of Brad and Stacy Temaat, received a $1,500 scholarship to attend a master class at Jeff McBride’s Magic and Mystery School.
“I recently went to the International Brotherhood of Magicians convention at Dallas, and that went well,” Temaat said. “I’m going to be doing a benefit Oct. 29 at Lamar, Mo., for the Chamber of Commerce there, and will have some of my magician friends with me. I’ll also be doing the Spooktacular in Pittsburg this year.”
The Tuesday show went well.
“We had around 110 people here,” Cassy said. “The Walk for ALS in Wichita will be held Saturday, and that’s why we had the show now. I’ll take the money we raised here with me and donate it. Cargill Meats of Wichita will be matching what we raised here, and I’m very grateful for that.”
She said that ALS is a horrible disease that gradually robs victims of their ability to speak, move, even breath and swallow.
“But it doesn’t affect the mind, so people with it can still think and have all their memories,” she said.
Her brother said that he will be doing another show next year to raise money to fight the disease.
“I’m so happy to have all my friends and family here to support me in this,” Temaat told his audience. “The money that you have donated will help save thousands and thousands of people, and that is truly magical.”
