Teen Star Announcement

Bloomsburg, PA – Journey Bank is pleased to announce its 14th Annual Teen Star Musical Competition. Inspired by the hit TV show American Idol®, Journey Bank is proud to sponsor this award-winning program to support area youth, the local schools, and the performing arts. This year’s show will journey back in time with a groovy 70’s theme, where contestants will sing songs from that iconic decade. In addition, there will be a host of 70’s themed elements incorporated into the finale to engage the audience and boost enthusiasm, including a fun costume contest.

First Columbia Bank hosted this annual musical talent competition for 13 years prior to its 2023 merger with neighboring Muncy Bank. The newly combined bank is named Journey Bank, and the competition has likewise been renamed “The Journey Bank Teen Star Musical Competition.” The Bank is excited to continue hosting Teen Star as its signature annual event. Lance Diehl, Journey Bank President & CEO, shared, “When we debuted the first Teen Star event in 2011, we never imagined it would still be going strong after 14 years. The popularity of the program is awesome, and as long as kids keep coming out to audition, we’ll keep Teen Star going.” Rob Glunk, Executive Chairman of Journey Bank, added, “As a community bank, we are committed to doing all we can to support our young people. Teen Star is all about lifting up our youth and giving them opportunities and rewarding experiences that will help them grow and prosper.”

With Journey Bank’s expanded service area, the Teen Star program has also been expanded and is now open to any freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior who attends high school in Columbia, Montour, or Lycoming County, or the Warrior Run School District. Contestants may also be a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior who permanently resides in Columbia, Montour or Lycoming County or the Warrior Run School District but attends a school outside the county or district. Sign-ups for auditions are open until Monday, April 8th. Students can register for auditions online at www.journeybank.com.

Auditions will be held on Thursday, April 11th and Saturday, April 13th at the Millville Area Junior Senior High School auditorium. These are private auditions and closed to the public. Independent judges, with music and entertainment backgrounds, will choose 12 finalists. These finalists will then compete before a new panel of judges and a cheering audience at the finale at Bloomsburg University’s Haas Auditorium on Sunday, May 19th at 2:00 P.M.

The first-place prize for the Teen Star winner is $2,000. The second, third, and fourth place finishers win $1,000, $750, and $350, respectively—and the remaining eight finalists each receive $100.

Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Tickets go on sale at all Journey Bank community offices on April 22nd. All ticket proceeds from the show are donated to the music departments at the finalists’ schools. Since 2011, the Bank has given more than $45,000 to the schools in ticket proceeds and has awarded another $67,000 in prize money to the finalists.

Journey Bank looks forward to hosting this fun event for our community and to giving students a unique platform to showcase their talents, build their confidence, and meet new friends. For additional information, visit the Teen Star Facebook page at www.facebook.com/journeybankteenstar and the Bank’s website at www.journeybank.com.

About Journey Bank

For over 120 years, Journey Bank has stood as a beacon of financial trust and expertise in local communities throughout Central PA. Journey Bank represents the combined legacies and strengths of two local community banks—First Columbia Bank and Muncy Bank. The newly combined bank, together with its nearly 300 dedicated employees, brings a shared commitment to delivering banking excellence to customers with convenient access to 22 community offices across a five-county area that includes Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, and Clinton counties. With more than $1.634 billion in assets as of December 31, 2023, Journey Bank offers a full complement of banking, trust, and financial services to more than 50,000 individuals, families, businesses, and municipalities. Member FDIC.
Photo file attached. 2023 Teen Star Winner, Lauren Baker, Bloomsburg High School
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