Each week, Maplewood-Brentwood Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups and teens that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid. Know a Whiz Kid? Nominate them for next week's feature!

Today's Whiz Kid nomination comes from Maplewood resident Tonya Powell:

• Whiz Kids' Name(s), Age(s): Maplewood Richmond Heights Elementary School students (attached flier lists all participants)

• Whiz Kids' Accomplishment: The students held a talent show to raise money for sixth graders' annual capstone trip to Chicago.

• Whiz Kids' Key to Awesomeness: The capstone trip for MRH Elementary School students is a trip to Chicago, where students explore the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry and the Field Museum (where they get to spend several hours after the museum closes to explore and participate in special activities with the staff). It is the highlight of their elementary career and a right of passage that sends them off to middle school ready for bigger, longer and more intense expeditions.
  
  The cost of this trip is the responsibility of each family and can cost close to $180 or $190 per child—sometimes more—so raising money to offset these costs is a huge undertaking for all sixth grade families.
  
  In an effort to help raise some money to help, one family decided to put on a little show in its living room where family and friends could come watch their boys perform and leave a little donation in the tip jar to help pay for their trip. It was a great idea. And that’s the thing about great ideas. They grow.
  
  A couple of boys performing in the living room became a few additional kids performing to help add to the show. That grew into a few more kids, and that grew into more wanting to help and, “Oh, wouldn’t it be great if we could raise enough to pay for our friend who can’t afford to go at all?”
  
  The living room was traded in for the basement of the Maplewood United Methodist Church. The handful of performers grew into close to 20 acts and some rocking group numbers as well. Everyone did their part, played their role, shared their talent and worked really hard to raise a little money to help their friends.
  
  A few moms sweetened the pot with some homemade treats for a nice reception afterward and voila—it was a success. When the church doors opened on January 30, the hearts and wallets of almost 200 audience members opened as well. Within a few hours they witnessed singing, dancing, martial arts, an independent film, stand-up comedy, poetry reading and instrumentals. By the time the last note of “We Are The World” echoed through the hall there had been laughter, tears, and $900 raised for a very good cause.