Karina Gonzalez
Blushing when a fan asks him to sign her pants instead of the handout photo, Colton “Lil’ C” Burton, a member of the boy band The Power of 3, smiles and obliges, then moves on to the next autograph. The 12-year-old smiles and shakes hands, distributes hugs and takes direction from his mother, hovering protectively behind him.
With more than 1,000 foster children attending the ninth annual Day of the Child event on Sunday at Shepard’s Stadium, Colton knew he was fortunate to be performing for them instead of being one of them.
Abused by his birth mother, he had been placed in a foster family in Fresno before meeting the woman who would become his mentor, and finally, his mother.
At 3 Ω, Colton’s foster mother took him, with her other children, to a “Foster Christmas Party” at dance teacher Veda Burton’s studio.
He continued to see Veda twice a week when he came with his foster mother to the studio.
“At first, I would give him little treats, like you do with any cute kid you see all the time. Eventually, I had my assistants teaching the class so that I could hang out with him. I really fell for him,” says Veda.
But every time that he would leave, he became dejected, and Veda sensed that something was wrong. Colton’s foster mother had already told her that although she had adopted two other previous foster children, she had no desire to adopt Colton because she didn’t like him.
“How can you say that about a child you’ve been raising for two years? Veda asks incredulously.
So, she called the Department of Child and Family Protective Services and inquired about his situation.
Veda was told that Colton was unlikely to be adopted out of the system because he had a history of abuse that many potential parents saw as negative baggage and because he was mixed-race.
Veda became a foster parent, and eventually was able to adopt Colton.
After he came to live with her family, Veda discovered that he had been further traumatized by abuse while in foster care.
“His foster mother lost her license,” Veda said
As Colton grew up, they discovered how even more perfect of a match the family was for him.
Veda, a longtime dance instructor, and her two daughters, Brittanny and Tiffany, were all artistically-inclined, and as Colton became more comfortable in his new family, his own passion for dance emerged.
“I can’t do the things he would come up with,” said Veda.
“I don’t know how to do any of that.”
For his part, Colton seems happy with the path his life has taken. To follow his and his sisters’ careers, the family moved to the Los Angeles area six years ago, where Veda started The Rage, a dance and performing arts studio.
A far cry from the life he was born into, Colton seems well-adjusted to his hectic pace.
“It makes me feel happy to see how excited everyone gets,” Colton said about performing for the foster kids.
“I feel very blessed and lucky to have my family.”
In addition to Colton, Gabriel (Gaby) Morales, 12, and Ross Lynch, 11, fill out the members of The Power of 3.
After the group performed for the foster children and mentors on Sunday, Gabriel said “I’m so happy. It’s awesome to see everyone so happy.”
The boys have another charity performance coming up next month, and both Gaby and Ross will be relocating to Los Angeles from their current homes next month.
For their fans, many of whom recognized ‘Lil’ C’ from performances with Missy Elliot and Will Smith, the chance to see it and meet with him was amazing.
“They are sooo incredible,” said Emani, 9, “I really want to keep an eye on these three.”
“I think I’ve seen [Lil’ C] before,” said Kiara,14. “He’s my favorite.”
While Colton seems to have found a way to put his past behind him, his mother enthused to the crowd before the boys’ set for mentors to continue to take an interest in their charges.
“They are brilliant, they are beautiful,” said Veda
Signing clothing is just part of the job for Colton “Lil’C” Burton, 12, as a member of the popular group, The Power of 3. ()