Winning Choirs of Most Powerful Voices Competition Selected

DALLAS, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The votes are in and the two winning choirs have been selected for the American Stroke Association's Most Powerful Voices competition. The large choir winner is Dexter Walker & Zion Movement from Chicago, Illinois. The small choir winner is James Andrews and New Seasons from Indianapolis, Indiana.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100222/AHSALOGO)

Both choirs will perform at the Power Awards Show on May 7 in Harlem, NY. The association hosts the annual event to honor people who increase stroke awareness among African Americans. Additionally, James Andrews and New Seasons was chosen by EMI Gospel as the grand prize winner and will receive a professional coaching session from Gospel Artist Myron Butler.

The American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, joined with gmc (Gospel Music Channel) to educate people about stroke through this online singing competition, which ran from January 19 thru April 6 at the contest site choir.gospelmusicchannel.com. When people registered to vote or compete in the competition, they also 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.

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 cable television network, gmc (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."

"gmc'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 gmc.

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 gmc (Gospel Music Channel)

gmc (http://www.watchgmctv.com) can be seen in 47 million homes on various cable systems around the country, on DIRECTV on channel 338 and on Verizon FiOS on channel 224.

SOURCE American Heart Association