Vote for Your Favorite Washington D.C. Church Choir to Perform Live At Verizon Center

Online Voting is Now Open for Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound Regional Competition, Featuring Hosts CeCe Winans and Donald Lawrence; Tickets Are on Sale Now

Starting July 18, music fans from Washington D.C. can cast their votes for their favorite church choir from the Washington D.C.-area to advance to the 2010 regional Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound^™ competition. By voting online at www.HowSweetTheSound.com their voices can be heard in America’s premiere gospel singing competition. Up to eight choirs from the Washington D.C.-area who receive the most online votes will perform at the regional event, which will take place at Wachovia Center on Saturday, September 18, and will compete in front of Gospel legends and judges for the title of best church choir in Washington D.C. and up to $16,000 in cash and prizes.  The winning choir from the regional competition will also have an opportunity to represent Philadelphia in Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound grand finale event. Online voting for all 14 cities is open for two weeks, beginning at approximately 12:01 a.m. ET on July 18 and ending at approximately 11:59 p.m. ET on August 1. Tickets to Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound at Verizon Center are on sale now.Floor and lower-tier seats are $7, and upper-tier seats are available for $5. For more information on purchasing tickets, visit www.HowSweetTheSound.com or visit the Web site for Verizon Center at www.verizoncenter.com.

 “I am thrilled to co-host the 2010 Verizon How Sweet The Sound competition. Gospel music is the foundation of American popular music and is a celebration of community.  Gospel is part of my soul and I look forward to experiencing it with you,” said CeCe Winans.

“This event has become the marquee event in the Gospel community, and we are proud to be able to share it with our customers and the community,” said Marquett Smith, vice president  - corporate communications, Verizon Wireless. “Verizon’s How Sweet The Sound is just one program of a much larger community effort for Verizon.”