“This Ain’t Our First Rodeo:” 9th Annual Lip-Syncing Fundraiser Serves Up “Rhinestones & Rockstars” on February 27 at Charleston Music Hall

Saddle up for a wild ride because the American Lung Association in South Carolina’s one-of-a-kind fundraiser is returning to Charleston Music Hall on Thursday, February 27. Lip Sync For Lungs Live Battle IX: Rhinestones & Rockstars, presented by Audi Charleston, funds lung disease research, local programs and services that save lives. 

“This ain’t our first rodeo! We’ve hosted eight incredible Live Battles, and the Charleston community has showed us this grand and off-the-wall event is here to stay,” said Lori DeNicola, Lip Sync for Lungs event chair and owner of floral design studio, Petaloso. “Thanks to the support of our celebrity performers, local partners and attendees, we’re closing in on $1 million raised since our inaugural event. $1 million in funding is the equivalent of helping 10,000 kids quit vaping or supporting nearly 5.5 years of lung cancer research. Just think of all the great work we’ve funded, and will continue to fund, from this one event!”

This year’s Lip Sync For Lungs theme, “Rhinestones & Rockstars,” celebrates the genre-blending, country-crossover movement in the music industry. It’s classic country glitz and charm meets pop-rock spectacle. Think Dolly Parton, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Lil Nas X, Shania Twain and Orville Peck.

Local celebrity fundraisers will perform lip sync and dance routines in an anticipated showdown to win the title of Lip Sync Battle Champion. This year’s lineup includes:

• Mick Matricciano – front-end developer, BECK Digital
• Narcisa Maura – founder and CEO, Glow Girl Unlimited LLC
• Susan Perkins & the Golden Girls – assistant general manager and fitness instructor, Gold’s Gym
• Shelley Scott – dance, fitness and workout instructor

Last year, Geoff Richardson, owner and lead stylist of Lava Salon, was named Battle Champion of the Live Battle VIII: Totally ‘80s! The crowd went wild for his bombastic performance as Jon Bon Jovi, with his teenage son, Cason, performing alongside him as Richie Sambora. Richardson raised nearly $40,000 through community support and donations.

Richardson said, "Here’s my elevator pitch for folks who have never been to Lip Sync for Lungs. The tickets are $45 each—the $45 is a donation, and in return, we give you the best two hours of your life. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll have an amazing time."

DeNicola, who also serves on the Lung Association’s South Carolina Leadership Board and the Southeast Leadership Board, added: “Grab your boots, bedazzle that jacket, and get ready to party like a rockstar, all while supporting a great cause! Because when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.”

The Lip Sync Live Battle Winners Circle includes Geoff Richardson (Lava Salon), Francesca DiSalvo-Follmer (Pure Luxe Bride) & Drew Pond (Dock House Digital), Kyle “K’Otic” Johnson, Bryan Mahanes (Other Brother Entertainment), Robert Beall, DMD (James Island Family, Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry), Susan Pearlstine, Dr. Yanis Bellil (Roper St. Francis Healthcare) and Lance Oliver (Motley Rice Law Firm).

The Lung Association is proud to serve our Lowcountry community and the nearly 775,000 South Carolinians living with lung disease and lung cancer. Our mission has never been more critical. We are researching new treatments and cures, tackling the youth vaping epidemic, protecting the air we all breathe and helping people live healthier lives. Your support fuels our mission and deepens our local impact.

Information and tickets for Lip Sync For Lungs Live Battle IX: Rhinestones & Rockstars is available at LipSyncForLungs.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].