National recording artist Eunice Wright is scheduled to be a celebrity judge for Delaware Teen Idol 2012. Delaware Teen Idol began in seven years ago as an extension of the Healthy Wilmington 2010 Health Plan. Presented by AIDS Delaware, in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club of Delaware, City of Wilmington Parks and Recreation, First State Community Action Agency, and WJKS Kiss 101.7 FM, Delaware Teen Idol was initially instituted to provide youth in the city of Wilmington, Delaware with the opportunity to showcase their talent while promoting positive messages amongst their peers. It has since grown into a statewide event attracting approximately 200 teens between the ages of 13 and 18.
“Delaware Teen Idol is more than just a talent competition,” says AIDS Delaware Education Manager Frank Hawkins. “We view it as an educational opportunity. It’s an opportunity for teens to be educated about safer behaviors by their own peers. It started in for the youth of Wilmington in the summer of 2005, and has grown year after year to include auditions in each county and 14 finalists. We hope that, through initiatives like these, teens will identify their positive qualities and build on them. We bring celebrities in every year (Hollywood Invades Delaware) for Delaware Teen Idol and our Duffy’s Hope Celebrity Softball Event. In addition to Ms. Wright, we have had guest star appearances from Angela and Vanessa Simmons, Raven Simon, Clifton Powell, and other made famous by their careers in film, music, television, entertainment, theater, law, entrepreneurship, and sports.”
Contestants in Delaware Teen Idol 2012 must perform original songs, raps, dances, or poetry addressing topics our youth of today are exposed to and experiencing, such as abstinence, safe sex, HIV/AIDS, fatherhood involvement, mental illness, teen pregnancy, substance abuse prevention, anti-violence, crime prevention, and similar positive messages. “I am honored to participate in the Delaware Teen Idol event for a second year,” says Wright. “I had the opportunity to meet some great and talented young people in the past. Being a teenager in today’s society is nothing like it was when I was teenager. They have so many more influences and obstacles growing up in this technological and information age than those of my generation did. I commend them for stepping up and being an example to other young people, even in their youth. Hopefully, I am as much an inspiration to them as they are to me.” Auditions for Delaware Teen Idol 2012 will be held at on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center (New Castle County) and Dover High School (Kent County) on Saturday, June 9, 2012 from 12-3. For more information about Delaware Teen Idol and other initiatives sponsored by AIDS Delaware, contact Frank Hawkins at 302.652.6776.
Wright is taking time off from promoting her recent sophomore release to serve as a celebrity judge for Delaware Teen Idol. Her new project “Worth It All (April 10, 2012),” features the hit single “Hello God” that is still making its way to radio waves around the country. “Hello God” is available for download free on the official Eunice Wright website, www.eunicewright.com. “Worth It All” and her debut project, “Wait On Me,” are also available for purchase on the official website, as well as on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. For more information or to bring the worship experience of Eunice Wright to your church, conference, or special event, contact Joyful Noyze Entertainment, visit www.eunicewright.com.