Miners partner with BSCTC to provide game entertainment
November 8, 2007 - Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1)
East Kentucky Miners News Release
PIKEVILLE, KY. - The East Kentucky Miners professional basketball organization has announced the beginning of an entertainment partnership with the Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) Music Program. Laura Ford Hall, BSCTC Music and Drama Director, has been named the East Kentucky Miners Director of Game Entertainment. Through her experience with BSCTC, Hall will work to provide Miners fans with the best possible entertainment.
"There is such an abundance of talent in Eastern Kentucky," Hall said. "When I was approached about helping to find entertainment for games, I told Miners Co-Owner Demetrius Ford, 'You don't have to look far to find great entertainment in Eastern Kentucky. It's right next door... talent runs in our genes, and as Eastern Kentuckians, we should be very proud of that."
Through the partnership with BSCTC, Miners home games will feature the National Anthem, sung by local talent screened and trained in the community-based music department at BSCTC, and an eventful halftime show featuring the Big Sandy Singers as well as the Halftime Big Sandy Idol Talent Competition where the top three finalists will receive college scholarships to BSCTC. The competition participants will be selected through the Big Sandy Idol Program at BSCTC, a program that reaches out to the talented local students in every high school in the five-county area of Eastern Kentucky.
In 2006, BSCTC launched Big Sandy Idol, a new music scholarship program for high school students that is sponsored by Interstate Natural Gas. The college facilitates and hosts a talent showcase at each high school that offers two winners from each of the 16 schools in Pike, Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin and Martin counties, a chance to compete for a demo CD recording, a full-album recording, a $1,200 vocal scholarship to attend BSCTC, cash prizes, and a spot with the Big Sandy Singers, who are directed by Hall. Now, the Big Sandy Idol competitors will have an even greater prize to win - an additional chance to compete for even more scholarship money, provided by the East Kentucky Miners, and a chance to perform in front of thousands at a Miners game at the East Kentucky Expo Center.
During halftime of nearly every Miners home game, the two winners from the Big Sandy Idol competition at each school will compete against one another with one of them being sent on to the semifinals (also a halftime showcase) through a judging determined by audience applause.
During the final games, all of the finalists will compete with one another and the winner will be awarded $1,000. The second- and third-place finishers will each receive $500 to attend BSCTC.
"In addition to the wonderful performance opportunities that the East Kentucky Miners are providing to our local talented students and community members, they have also given a substantial donation to our music program," Hall said. "This means so much to me and to my students. I am so thankful that the Miners have come to our area and that they truly care about making our community a better, more entertaining place."
Miner fans can look forward to great local talent at every ballgame. Because the talent competition is by audience applause, it is important that everyone comes out to cheer for the students from your school district when it is their game to perform. The Miners will provide group rate tickets for all school students on the night that their school is represented in the half-time competition performance, as well as every home game throughout the season.
"I speak for the entire Miners organization when I say we are extremely excited about this partnership," said Demetrius Ford, Miners co-owner and president. "Trinity Sports and Entertainment (parent company of the Miners) is in the business of entertainment as well as professional sports, and it has always been our goal to marry the two whenever possible. What better way to do that than to bring in Eastern Kentucky's own to showcase their talents on such a grand stage as the Expo Center during a Miners basketball game?"
The Miners will travel to Pennsylvania on Friday, Nov. 16 for a season-opener versus the Pittsburgh Xplosion. Professional basketball will arrive in Eastern Kentucky on an official note Sunday, Nov. 18 when the Miners host the Xplosion.
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