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Bridgewater, NJ- The Five-Time Atlantic League Champion Somerset Patriots, along with Magic 98.3 FM and WCTC 1450 AM, have announced that the team will host National Anthem Auditions on Saturday, March 9th from 12-4 pm at the Menlo Park Mall in Edison.
The event will be a fundraiser designed to benefit Operation Shoebox New Jersey, an all-volunteer organization dedicated to collecting donated supplies to ship care packages to U.S. troops based overseas.
There
will be a $10 fee to audition, with 100% of the proceeds to benefit Operation
Shoebox New Jersey. The $10 donation is
tax deductible and all participants will have the opportunity to sign a letter
that will be included in a care package to a soldier.
The
Patriots will audition 100 soloists and small groups during the event with up
to ten winners being selected to return as finalists to sing the National
Anthem in front of judges at TD Bank Ballpark at a later date. During this time the judges will have the
chance to hear the finalists sing the National Anthem and give final approval
to perform at the ballpark during the season.
The
Patriots are looking for participants of all ages with no prior auditioning
experience for the team. Past winners
are asked not to audition again as the team already has their information on
file to be used again when needed.
Singers will be judged on vocal talent, stage presence and their ability
to perform before a large crowd.
During
the auditions, each singer will have up to one minute and thirty seconds to
sing, a cappella, the song of their choice.
Contestants will not be permitted to sing the National Anthem at this
time. All contestants will be required
to perform a song that is appropriate for a family audience.
The
team will also set up a waiting list to provide a chance for singers to fill in
if a registered individual cannot make the audition. All participants must pre-register with the Somerset Patriots.
The
event will take place at Center Court on the lower level of Menlo Park Mall. In
addition to the National Anthem auditions, the event will include interactive
games and contests for mall patrons to win prizes, special offers for tickets
and merchandise, and the ability to interact with team representatives. Sparkee
The Mascot and his pal Slider will be at the mall to entertain young fans.
Magic 98.3 FM and
WCTC 1450 AM are the event’s media partner, with Mike Pavlichko serving as the
emcee. This is the tenth year the Patriots will be hosting National Anthem
auditions.
Representatives
from Operation Shoebox New Jersey will be on-site to help promote their
organization and encourage additional donations for our troops.
Interested
individuals can register for the auditions by calling Brian Cahill at (908)
252-0700 Ext. 222 or bcahill@somersetpatriots.com.
Operation Shoebox New Jersey has
shipped more than 50,000 total packages to U.S. military personnel serving in
Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and other posts in the Middle East. Operation Shoebox NJ is 501C3 non-profit organization
registered with the IRS and the New Jersey Department of State. For more information, visit http://www.opshoeboxnj.org.
The 2013 season will begin at home on Thursday, April 18th at 7:05 pm. For more information about the upcoming season, call (908) 252-0700 or visit http://www.somersetpatriots.com.
