Seven Young Magicians Win Camp Scholarships

Society of American Magicians Magic Endowment Fund Camp Scholarship Chairman, Warren J Kaps, announced that seven young magicians have been awarded scholarships to two magic camps this summer. As part of the Endowment Fund program four will attend the Sorcerer’s Safari Camp in Toronto, Canada and three will go to Tannen’s Magic Camp in suburban Pennsylvania. Here are their names:

Safari Camp Winners are:

• William (Bill) B Boaz (Age 16)
• Luke D. Murray (Age 16)
• Melissa Russo (Age 13)
• Jennifer Antonio (Age 15)

Tannen Camp Winners are:

• Lukas Olson (Age 16)
• David Rysin (Age 16)
• Anthony Jones (Age 16)

The Society of American Magicians Magic Endowment Fund is proud to announce the winners of seven magic camp scholarships for the year 2010.

The winners of the four camp scholarships to attend the Sorcerer’s Safari Magic Summer Camp, located near Toronto in Haliburton, Ontario are as follows:

William (Bill) B. Boaz, is awarded a full tuition scholarship to Sorcerer’s Safari Magic Summer Camp, located near Toronto in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada. Bill is 16 years old, attends the 10th grade at the Hudson High School in Ohio, USA. He has an exceptional work ethic, maturity and kind personality, and his grades are excellent. Ever since he was five years old he had a love of performing and interest in magic. He has performed magic at corporate events, private dinner parties, and grand openings for businesses, as well as at many close-up and parlor environments, table hopping at restaurants and at school assemblies. Two years ago he competed at the magi-fest convention in Columbus Ohio and won second place in the competition with a routine of humor, misdirection and sleight of hand. This year, at the same competition, he won first place using an eight minute card routine of his own creation that was synced to music and with illusions. One reviewer of his magic performance said "Bill mesmerized the tough and sometimes rambunctious crowd with equal measures of magic and comedy and entertained them all over the stretch of nearly two hours." He has volunteered his time entertaining the children in his town’s "Taste of Hudson" fair, and also plays the saxophone in the High School Marching Band and the Concert Band.

The second scholarship to the Sorcerer’s Safari Magic Camp is awarded to Luke D. Murray, who is 16 years old and attends the Ursula Franklin Academy in Toronto, Ontario. Luke is a well mannered, dependable, reliable young person, and has proven to be a skilled and proficient magician. He was awarded the Tarbell series of books by Jeff Pinksky at the Browser Den as the most promising young magician in Toronto and in April 2009, Luke was the star of the stage show for an audience of 450 people at a small high school in Toronto. Luke volunteers his time and entertains at parish projects of social events with everyone from the elderly to the choir and fundraisers and also has gone on several parish mission trips to the Native Reserves .He also has performed at the Walk of Hope of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario. He has received several awards including the Michael Gillis Award from the Canadian Association of Magicians, and the Doug Henning Memorial Award for Best Performer – Youth.

Melissa Russo from Trumbull, Connecticut, USA, is our third winner to be awarded a scholarship to Sorcerer’s Safari Magic Camp. She is 13 years old and is in 7th grade. She is a very determined young lady. She wants to focus on her craft and on learning as much as she can from mentors so she can get better, smoother and cleaner with her pulls and steals, card fans and manipulations. Magic makes her feel as if she is a superhero flying in to save the day. She believes magic is her secret weapon, that it puts a smile on her face and others, and allows people the ability to believe in miracles. To her credit, she has performed at the Weekend of Wonder Kids Magic Convention, Stars of Tomorrow Show at the SAM Convention in Buffalo (only female chosen) and was the first place winner of the January Jamboree Magic Competition. She performs almost every weekend at parties, shows and community events. In addition she volunteers by giving magic performances to people living with cancer and with other disabilities. She is a proud member of the Society of Young Magicians, Bill Andrews Assembly #42, and visits with Master Magician Bill Andrews after school each Wednesday to learn card manipulations. Plus, she trains, cares for and feeds her 12 birds and bunny rabbit, her helpful magic companions. And it is no surprise this talented scholarship winner is a straight A student.

The fourth scholarship to the Sorcerer’s Safari Magic Camp is awarded to Jennifer Antonio, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Jennifer is 15 years old and is in 10th grade at College Jeanne-Sauve. She has been performing magic since she was 7 years old and joined the S.Y.M. as soon as she was old enough. Jennifer often performs with her younger brother and this year they were nominated to present the Lieutenants Governor’s Volunteer Service Award, and were introduced to the Premier and the City Mayor. Jennifer has performed at charities such as the Children’s Wish Foundation, The Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Diabetes Foundation. She plays the trumpet in her school band and also plays the piano and guitar. She has received awards at school for her art, and is a good student in all her studies.

The winners of three full tuition scholarships plus travel expense to Tannen’s Magic Camp at Bryn Mawr College in suburban, Pennsylvania, are as follows:

Lukas Olson, age 16, is in 11th grade and attends Grady High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Lukas attended magic camp last summer and said it changed his life. He has learned that real magic is not the tricks but the intimate experience that the audience has with the performer and what they take away from it. During the school year he worked at a restaurant where he performed table magic for tips on Friday evenings. He also researched and prepared a book report about the history of magic in the 1800s to early 1900s. He has participated in activities at SAM Assembly 30 and throughout the Atlanta magic community. He personifies the balance valued so highly in young magic students – he is ambitious without being rude, skilled without being egocentric and maintains a desire to learn, as well as the willingness to be taught.

David Rysin is our second recipient of a scholarship plus travel expense to Tannen’s Magic Camp. David is 16 years old and attends Stoughton High School in Massachusetts. He learned about the Society of Young Magicians when he was thirteen. He has performed at the Boston Opera House and the Skyline Ballroom of the Logan Harborside Hyatt Hotel, and in multiple restaurants, holiday parties and charity functions. He enjoys doing close-up, stage and stand-up magic, and has become the official magician for the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce. He has been President of the Boston SYM and has written articles, book reviews and interviews for the SYMbol. He looks forward to networking with other magicians that attend camp, and hopes to strengthen friendships with those he already knows.

Anthony Jones has also been awarded a scholarship and travel expense to Tannen’s Magic Camp. Anthony is 16 years old, and attends Vanguard High School in Silver Springs, Florida. When he was six years old while in Las Vegas, he was impressed with the performance of Rick Thomas, the first real magicians he had ever seen. After moving to Florida at the age of 13 he was inducted into the Tampa Bay Magic Club, and has taken a Master Class on magic with Jeff McBride. Anthony has expert mechanical hands in card work and strong patter. He is hardworking, energetic and creative. With his clean cut good looks and his infinite interest and ambition in pursuing magic, he is an inspiration to both young and old alike. Those who know him have no doubt that Anthony will make a tremendous impact on the world of magic.

The Society of American Magicians Magic Endowment Fund is proud of our achievement and growth and the expansion of our scholarship program that enables deserving youngsters from all over the world to attend magic camps and increase the interest of magic.

Contributions to the Society of American Magicians Magic Endowment Fund are appreciated and allow us to further expand our programs which not only provides scholarships to magic camp, but also provides:

• a. Help to any magician affected by natural disasters;
• b. Help to any magician who is ill through the Houdini Hospital Fund;
• c. Magic lecturers provided free to local magic groups;
• d. Support for the publication of magic books

Contributions should be sent to:

Bradley Jacobs, Chairman, Board of Trustees
Society of American Magicians-Magic Endowment Fund
234 Towyn Court
Lower Gwynedd, PA 19002

All contributions are tax deductible pursuant to I.R.S. 3501(c)(3)