Team Shelton Places Third in Clash

12/21/2007 Stephen L. Betts Blake Shelton and his Team Shelton choir didn’t take the top spot on NBC Clash of the Choirs, but after a week of hard work and nervous anticipation, Blake and the 20-member choir were thrilled with their performances and with placing third in the competition. Nick Lachey’s choir from Cincinnati, Ohio, took first place, while Patti Labelle’s Philadelphia choir earned second place honors.  After it was announced that Blake’s choir came in third, the host of the show, Maria Menounos of Access Hollywood, surprised all the choirs by announcing that GE was making a $50,000 donation to the charity of each of the four choirs that did not win the competition. “I couldn’t be prouder of this group of talented and energetic young people – they’ve worked hard the last three weeks and it’s amazing how they have jelled – both vocally and as a team,” says Blake. “I’m not disappointed at all – I’ve had the time of my life and was thrilled we made it to the finals.  And then when they announced that GE was donating $50,000 to each of the charities of the choirs that didn’t win – it just made everything that was already great even better. To be able to present Project Rebuild and the MWR this money just gives me the best feeling in the world.” NBC tapped five musical superstars – Michael Bolton, Patti Labelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland and Blake with the challenge to create America’s best choir on their new competition show Clash of the Choirs. It aired live Monday – Thursday of this week with one choir voted off each night. Team Shelton was singing to support Project Rebuild, an organization dedicated to giving relief to Oklahoma residents who have lost homes in recent national disasters. Team Shelton was also supporting Army MWR, a comprehensive network of support and leisure services designed to enhance the lives of soldiers and their families. Their mission is to serve the needs, interests and responsibilities of each individual in the Army community for as long as they are associated with the Army, no matter where they are. “In a competition that is all about making a difference in the local communities, we believe it was important to extend generosity to all the charities that were represented by the various choirs,” says former Brigadier General Frank Taylor, GE chief security officer. “This was a great opportunity to support two organizations that both make a tremendous difference to local families and soldiers in the Oklahoma City area.” Below are the other hometown charities that were each given $50,000:

• Michael Bolton - Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven & Yale Child Study Center Family Support Services - New Haven, CT Team Bolton sang to support the Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven, a private, nonprofit organization that helps thousands of victims of domestic violence every year. Team Bolton also supported the Yale Child Study Center Family Support Services, a facility that delivers treatment services directly to the home of children coping with specific family problems and stresses.
• Patti LaBelle – The Abramson Cancer Center & With Our Voices - Philadelphia, PA Team LaBelle sang to support The Abramson Cancer Center, a national leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. The monetary contribution will go towards With Our Voices, a special research and outreach program for African Americans in the Philadelphia area to improve their access and usage of cancer screenings in breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.
• Kelly Rowland – Bread of Life - Houston, TX Team Rowland sang to support the Bread of Life, Inc. a non-profit organization associated with Kelly Rowland’s church, St. John’s United Methodist. Kelly and long-time friend, Beyonce Knowles, donated over $250,000 to augment the church’s work and outreach in the community. The organization now has a transitional housing unit named in their honor, “The Knowles-Rowland Temenos Place Apartments,” where at-risk families, the homeless, persons with HIV/AIDS, and developmentally disabled receive free temporary or long-term housing.

Earlier this week on the series premiere, GE announced a $250,000 contribution to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), whose primary mission is to help build better lives for disabled veterans and their families.