Just in case anyone needed to hear it or be reminded of it. Love is alive in Owensboro. Saturday night, a record crowd of people poured into the Owensboro Convention Center for Puzzle Pieces' Lip Sync Battle. The three-hour show was not just an epic fundraiser, it was a three-hour-long love letter to compassion, diversity, and to the entire spectrum of ability.

Before I share my favorite moments from the show, I have to recognize my family of friends who joined me for this year's opening number.

I consider myself privileged to know and get to work with these insanely talented people- Brendan Stewart, Jaysen Oliver, Eric Clark, Preston Middleton, Candace Cleveland, Mercedez Varble, Heather Payne, Rhianna Pickrell, and Jen Vogel. They threw themselves into this vision and brought "The Greatest Showman" to full, energetic, and empowering life.

I also have to shout out my favorite flag-flying warrior goddess Cathy Pickrell, who is a life-changing inspiration to me on and off stage. I bow, daily, to my radio and Lip Sync Battle co-host Mary-Katherine Maddox, a woman who embodies the definition of the word 'empathy.' She is the biggest cheerleader of others I know. There is a place in heart for everyone. Then, there's Puzzle Pieces' Executive Director Amanda Owen. This year, Amanda joined us on stage and poured her heart and soul into her performance of "Never Enough." In life, she's inspiring. On stage, she's inspiring and radiant. Amanda, thank you for helping us share your story and join you in this mission.

Saturday night's Lip Sync Battle shattered event records. There were a record number of teams competing, a record number of performers on stage (163), a record number of virtual tickets sold (253), a record crowd (over 1750 people) and a record total of money raised (nearly a quarter of a million dollars). In fact, the final tally- which includes the cash/checks collected in the mid-show 'money shake' and money donated during show via the QR code- is $249,479.67. But those numbers, as impressive and heart-warming as they are, don't define this event.

What does is this- the power of people. ALL people.

There were endless highlights Saturday evening, but these are a few that leaped off the stage for me. How about Kenichi Harada, the Vice President of TTMA, launching himself into his team's unique, multilingual performance that you didn't have to understand to appreciate?

His energy was infectious and it propelled his team to the Energy Battle trophy. By the way, Kenichi goes by the American nickname "Kruise" because he likes Tom Cruise. Well, "Kruise" slayed it.

How about the unabashed (and shirtless) resurrection of Richard Simmons by the team from HOTWORX?

The purest form of freedom is found when you're fully comfortable in your own skin and Bobby Ewing and Nick Whiteside owned it and brought it. Their performances were undoubtedly the most unabashed of the night.

And how about the fundraising power of Glenmore Distillery? I would say they should bottle it, but they already do. Led by Owensboro's 'Pitbull' Justin Rhinerson, Glenmore made their third consecutive appearance in Lip Sync Battle to take on their friendly rivals from Swedish Match.

They raised over $51,000. I was standing right beside the team members when they received their third consecutive Community Piece Award (for the highest fundraising team). Nearly every teammate was crying and I was thinking how amazing it is that that these coworkers have built a family outside of the walls of the place they work. They have worked together, tirelessly, to build a second home for themselves on the stage of Lip Sync Battle. They (and Swedish Match) have become such a vital part of the Puzzle Pieces mission that it's hard to remember what it was before them and what it will be like without them.

And what about Kalin Phelps? Not only was Kalin's business- Integrated Therapy Solutions- the title sponsor of the event, Kalin did her own fundraising on top of it. Because of her selflessness and her commitment to the mission, she raised an additional $3,000. When we talk literally about the pieces of a puzzle, that kind of dedication is essential to the overall big picture. Plus, Kalin is a fierce, outspoken advocate who won't hesitate for a second to put nonsense back up on the shelf where it belongs.

She epitomizes the kind of friend and supporter we all need on our sideline and cheering section. Puzzle Pieces is lucky to have her. Our entire community is.

I also have to shout out the Tutt sisters (Quincy and Taiwanna), who very cleverly revived of last year's best performances.

As you can see from the video, the Tutts and their backup dancers ultimately ushered the guys off stage and claimed it for the ladies. It was so much fun.

Plus, consider this. Quincy works at Puzzle Pieces. She lives in this world professionally. However, it's her support of it personally that is just as impressive. In addition to her own battle, Quincy and her sister were involved in two others. That is commitment to the cause. It's admirable and amazing. Quincy doesn't just bring it on stage. She brings it in life.

If you attend Lip Sync Battle or watch it virtually, you see everything that happens on the stage. What you may not realize is just how much goes into this event off stage. For many of the performers, it's a life-altering experience. A lot of these participants check their comfort zones at the door. Many of them would never imagine a world in which they get on a stage in front of 2,000 people- in a town like Owensboro, where we are all just 'one degree separated' from each other.

That was certainly the case for my friend Ashley Bradshaw, who joined the Lindow Sisters in their Moulin Rouge-inspired number. On Friday night, Ashley made a social media post that speaks volumes about her own experience with and the power of Lip Sync Battle. She wrote:

I'm not exaggerating when I tell y'all that being on this team has been a whole life experience. I strongly encourage every woman to find something that takes her out of her comfort zone and do it! If it was possible to have a negative skill at something, it would be me with choreographed dancing. But, let me tell you the absolute JOY it has brought me week after week with these women. We've struggled, laughed, but most importantly grown.

Ashley concluded her post by sharing that she hopes her Lip Sync Battle experience makes her better and helps her contribute better to society.

That's what it's all about right? Ashley's example is THE example. This is what happens when we check ourselves at the door, roll our sleeves up, and get to work for the greater good. If it's true that "life's a dance you learn as we go," we should ALL be learning that choreography. Ashley's story is just one of dozens like it that play out on that stage- under the spotlights- and the audience isn't even aware. Sure, they see, appreciate and applaud the final product. But, they don't see the blood, the sweat, the tears, the anxiety, the self-doubt, the commitment and hard work that made that final product possible.

And then, as the 8th Annual Puzzle Pieces Lip Sync Battle was drawing to its close, God made a farmer. The performance by a team of local farming families was one of the most special moments in the history of Lip Sync Battle. It was funny. It was inspiring. It was emotional. It was, well, everything.

I have known Billy Reid, his wife and kids my whole life. If you know the story of Reid's, you know that the Reid family has owned and operated their orchard on the east side of Daviess County for over 150 years. Like with all the farm families on stage Saturday night, there's a deeply-rooted generational pride that truly grows from the soil. Billy Reid works hard. Every day. He gets to see the result of his hard word. Every single day.

But Saturday night, Billy and his fellow performers got to see a different kind of hard work pay off. I joked to the crowd that I didn't have Billy Reid, in a cow costume, lip syncing to "Milkshake" by Kelis on my 2025 Bingo card. I have a hunch that Billy didn't have it on his either.

I also don't think Billy had this on his Bingo card- a rousing, sweeping, standing ovation from the crowd at the end of their performance, which concluded with a reprise of Paul Harvey's "God Made a Farmer." The farmers, standing in a line across the front of the stage, revealed photos of the next generations of farmers who will carry on their family traditions. That moment was so incredibly emotional. Many people in the crowd were wiping away tears as they stood on their feet and cheered. The applause was thunderous and the reasons for it extended far beyond that Lip Sync Battle performance. It was unanimous validation of heritage and hard work and family tradition and pride and invaluable community service.

I walked onto the stage and noticed Billy. He had tears in his eyes. Look, Billy is aware that the folks of this community appreciate him and his family. But Saturday, he got to see it and feel it first hand. I think that moment overwhelmed him a bit. Honestly, it overwhelmed the entire room. For nine minutes Saturday night, the phrase 'farm to table' became 'farm to table to stage.' Billy Reid, his son Brad and daughter Katie, Suzanne Cecil White, Mack Estes, Jennifer Poole, Dustin Warren, Brian Cecil, Keith Riney, and Jim Gilles harvested the evening's defining moment.

Heck yeah! Love is indeed alive in Owensboro and Daviess County and Lip Sync Battle was a celebration of it. I am not sure there's a more fitting name for the agency Puzzle Pieces. The truth is- we are indeed pieces of a giant puzzle. When we work together, the pieces fit together. At the Owensboro Convention Center, all those pieces came together for a remarkable night of entertainment and fundraising. Here's to love. Here's to diversity. Here's to embracing and celebrating our differences. Here's to the power of people. Here's to you and to me and every single change we can inspire- together.