Top 10 Choirs of the Most Powerful Voices Competition Selected

DALLAS, March 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Stroke Association's Most Powerful Voices competition is in its final round and choirs need the public to vote at http://choir.gospelmusicchannel.com.  

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Most Powerful Voices competition engages competing choirs and voters from across America in the American Stroke Association's Power To End Stroke cause campaign. The public has between now and April 6 to go online and vote for their favorite among the top 10 finalists.

The American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, joined with the Gospel Music Channel to educate people about stroke through this online singing competition. When people register to vote or compete in the competition, they receive monthly e-newsletters from the American Stroke Association's Power To End Stroke campaign and other information to help them reduce their risk of stroke.

Two choirs will win (one small and one large) and will be notified on April 6.  The winning choirs will perform at the Power Awards Show on May 7 in New York City. The association hosts the annual event to honor people who increase stroke awareness among African Americans. In addition, one of the two choirs will be chosen by EMI Gospel as a grand prize winner and will receive a professional coaching session from a national EMI Gospel artist.

Other prizes for the winning choirs include:

• 50 free tickets per winning choir to the Power Awards Show
• One American Airlines ticket per winning choir to attend the 2010 Power Awards Show
• $5,000 worth of music equipment per winning choir from Roland, manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments
• Recognition on the Gospel Music Channel

Power To End Stroke is targeted to African Americans because of their disproportionate risks of stroke.  Stroke is the third leading cause of death for all Americans, and African Americans are at increased risk due to the higher prevalence of risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and previous heart attack and/or stroke.

"Stroke is a serious issue in the African-American community," said Dr. Rani Whitfield, a family practitioner in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and American Stroke Association spokesperson.  "It is a leading cause of severe, long-term disability, and more than 100,000 African Americans will suffer a new or reoccurring stroke this year. That's why it's an important requirement of this competition to register people to receive stroke information.  We need to reach as many people as possible to help them to reduce their risk and to know what to do in a stroke emergency to help improve stroke outcomes."

"The Gospel Music Channel's mission is to inspire, uplift and entertain. We believe the Most Powerful Voices contest will inspire people to make positive lifestyle changes to prevent strokes and entertain them through uplifting music from outstanding choirs across America. We are thrilled to be part of such a beneficial program to prevent strokes and showcase great choirs and music," commented Philip Manwaring, vice president of Digital Media for the Gospel Music Channel.

About the American Stroke Association

Created in 1997 as a division of the American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association works to improve stroke prevention, diagnosis and treatment to save lives from stroke -- America's No. 3 killer and a leading cause of serious disability.  To do this, we fund scientific research, help people better understand and avoid stroke, encourage government support, guide healthcare professionals, and provide information to stroke survivors and their caregivers to enhance their quality of life.  To learn more, call 1-888-4STROKE or visit strokeassociation.org.

About the Gospel Music Channel

The Gospel Music Channel (http://www.gospelmusicchannel.com) can be seen in 46 million homes on various cable systems around the country, on DIRECTV on channel 338 and on Verizon FiOS on channel 224.

SOURCE American Stroke Association