Press
American 1 Teen Idol Takes the Stage
JACKSON, MI (July 16, 2013) — On Friday, July 12th ten talented teens took center stage at the Jackson County Fairgrounds Grandstands at American 1 Teen Idol, presented by American 1 Credit union. American 1 Teen Idol is a youth singing event, where over fifty teens auditioned and ten teens from area cities were selected to perform in the final competition.
The top ten teens were as follows: Michael Cavender, Marissa Zonts, Kali Mees, Jeremiah Weaver, and Kiley Ladwig, all of Jackson, Nicole Suchman of Adrian, Alaina Kerr of Michigan Center, Taylor Flood of Battle Creek, Tyler Bennett of Hillsdale, and Caitlin LeBlanc of Brimley, MI. These ten teens ranged in age from 14-19 years old.
Cailtin LeBlanc took first place winning $1,000, and an iPad. Jeremiah Weaver took second winning $250. Tyler Bennett took third place winning $150. The remaining seven contestants won $50. Each of the contestants also won a prize pack filled with items donated by area businesses and a trophy.
The judges were Bob Hoffman of the Wharton Center, Cheryl Fritze of Fox 47 News Morning Blend, and Colleen Flynn of Jackson School of the Arts. The judges had a great time at the event, but all agreed that the decisions were very tough as all the teens were very talented.
This event is also a fundraiser in which each teen in the top ten is required to raise a minimum of $250 and to declare a charity of choice. $2,000 is automatically donated to the Jackson School of the Arts, and the rest of the money raised is donated to the overall winner’s charity of choice. This year, the teens raised a total of $3,622. Caitlin’s charity of choice was The Ronan Thompson Foundation; a check for $1,622 was donated to this great cause in Caitlin’s honor.
Today American 1 Credit Union provides low-cost financial services to more than 50,000 members and several hundred partner companies. American 1 Credit Union serves Jackson, Calhoun, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Macomb, and Wayne Counties. Visit www.american1cu.org for more information.