‘Oh say, can you sing?’ contest finalists compete to sing at Foster Farms bowl; 49ers alumnus Dennis Brown to judge
Local youth compete for an opportunity to represent and give back with 1,000-meal food bank donation.
SAN FRANCISCO – The Foster Farms Bowl has selected the 2017 finalists in the “Oh Say, Can You Sing?” contest to determine who will perform the national anthem at this year’s game at Levi’s Stadium. The contestants will move on to the final round of competition, a live audition in front of a panel of judges – among them, legendary former 49ers defensive end, Dennis Brown.
Brown was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1990, named Rookie of the Year, started in Super Bowl XXIX—the game that made the 49ers the first team to win five Super Bowls. He will be accompanied by San Francisco 49ers Senior Manager of Game Presentation and Live Events, Laura Johnson; FOX Sports’ Play-by-Play Announcer, Joe Davis and representatives from Foster Farms at the live audition next Monday, December 11 from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Feinstein’s in Hotel Nikko in San Francisco.
Eleven finalists were chosen among Bay Area and Central Valley youth who submitted audition videos via YouTube. The finalists are:
- Venice Lauren Barbiran, 10, from San Jose, California
- Makenna Boutelle, 17, from Turlock, California
- Danielle Lopez, 15, from Atwater, California
- Raven Angelique Barbiran, 16, from San Jose, California
- Cece Linardon, 15, from Walnut Creek, California
- Victor Alcantara, 17, from Concord, California
- Madisyn Sumter, 14, from Modesto, California
- Jovan Perez, 17, from Dublin, California
- Ashly Gomez, 17, from Ripon, California
- Pitman High School Madrigals, from Turlock, California
- Felicia Chang, 15, from Fremont, California
“I’m proud to be a part of this continuing tradition of showcasing the local talent in our communities as well as fighting hunger,” said Brown. “Each contestant nominated a food bank to receive a donation—the winner will have 1,000 meals from Foster Farms donated in their name. The talent and thoughtfulness these young singers have displayed is incredible, and I look forward to hearing them perform at the live audition next week.”
The winner will sing the national anthem in front of thousands of college football fans at the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl, just before kickoff at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 27 in Santa Clara, California. The game will air live on FOX broadcast network and will feature the Arizona Wildcats against the Purdue Boilermakers.
As part of the Foster Farm Bowl’s longstanding commitment to fighting hunger, Foster Farms will donate one meal for every Foster Farms Bowl ticket purchased. This year, Foster Farms will donate more than 550,000 meals to local hunger relief organizations, including St. Anthony’s and Glide in San Francisco. For more information about the game and tickets, visit www.FosterFarmsBowl.com.
