Union County Duo Advances to Finals in New Jersey Shout Down Drugs Competition
February 18, 2014
MILLBURN — The votes have been counted! The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) announced today that Teddy Cole and Kate Parker, of Union County, are this year’s New Jersey Shout Down Drugs (NJSDD) “Online Voting People’s Choice Finalist”. The high school duo received the highest vote count of 7,982 from the 45,541 total votes cast.
The NJSDD music competition is designed to allow high school teens throughout New Jersey to utilize their musical talents and writing ability to create original songs that instill drug prevention messages among their peers and the New Jersey community. The sophomores from Governor Livingston High School, in Berkeley Heights, will advance to the finals and perform their original prevention song, entitled “See Straight,” at the 10th Annual Prevention Concert, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), on May 21, 2014. They, along with the other finalists, will compete for one of three music contracts, valued at $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000.
The remaining finalists, who represent 14 participating counties, will be announced March 3 on ShoutDownDrugs.com.
This is the 4th year that the public had the opportunity to vote for a People’s Choice Finalist from all of the entries submitted, representing a wide range of artist styles and genres from around the state.
“In only a two week period, nearly 50,000 votes were cast, which is just astonishing,” said Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. “More importantly, young people from across the country—hailing from 43 states, and the District of Columbia—and more than 20 countries from around the globe, were inspired by substance abuse prevention messages created by New Jersey high school students.”
The second round of voting for all of the contest finalists will begin on March 14 and will continue until the day before the May 21st Prevention Concert. Those votes will be factored into the finalists’ scores the evening of the concert to help choose the three winners. Comcast/NBC Universal, the title sponsor since 2006, will film the concert that evening.
Tickets for the Prevention Concert are free, but reservations must be made. Reservations will be accepted beginning March 14, 2014, by visiting ShoutDownDrugs.com or by calling 973-467-2100, ext. 19.
Photo and interview opportunities are available upon request
Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $70 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered 120 Advertising and Public Relations Awards from National, Regional & Statewide Media Organizations.
