The community came together for a night of fun, Broadway songs and the chance to aid education at the third annual Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Spotlight Dinner Show and Auction.

The event, held Thursday night at Ironton High School, showcased the talents of Broadway star J. Mark McVey, who performed a recital of show tunes ranging from Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” to Strouse and Adams “Bye Bye Birdie” to almost anything Richard Rodgers.

McVey, a Huntington native known for his featured role in the musical “Les Miserables,” followed a performance by the Ironton High School Varsity Singers. McVey was accompanied by Tri-State pianist Bruce Rous, who recently returned to the area after spending a stint performing in the New York musical world.

But before McVey’s performance, guests dined on a buffet catered by Bellefonte Country Club and bid on silent auction items ranging from an autographed Jimmy Buffet guitar to trips to Ormand Beach, Fla., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.

“This allows the business community and the community at large to network and to get to know each other better,” said Tyler Walters, director of planning at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital.

The Spotlight Dinner has become an annual spring event where funds are raised to provide scholarships for a student at each of the eight public and private school districts in the county. Funds also enable students to participate in the chamber’s annual Legislative Day in May.

“The chamber is so important to the businesses in the area and they work very hard to draw attention to what Lawrence County has to offer,” Dianne Clement, member of the Lawrence Economic Development Corp., said. “We can have great events in town and this is evidence of the quality program we watched.”