News Archives: Peace Country Idol Benefits Students, Performers, and Charitable Causes
Thursday, November 27th, 2014
The 12th annual Peace Country Idol competition has once again launched new performers onto the entertainment scene, while providing the GPRC Marketing Project Management class with hands-on experience and raising funds for a chosen charity.
With a nod to Canadian Idol, the event is organized by the students of Marketing Project Management as part of this non-traditional business course offered at GPRC.
Together the students form a team that researches, implements and carries out marketing activities for the event. They gain practice in the implementation and control processes necessary to host a large-scale charitable event in a business environment.
Proceeds from Peace Country Idol 2014 will benefit two separate causes. Approximately $10,000 was raised, of which half will go to charitable efforts in Ethiopia, established through the Swan City Rotary Club. These projects build and furnish schools and health clinics, among many other things.
The second half of the proceeds will go toward funding the GPRC’s 2014 Marketing Tour. During this "once in a lifetime" trip, the marketing students will be travelling to San Francisco to visit a variety of organizations in the attempt to learn firsthand about the marketing environment in the business world.
At the finale event on November 22, the first prize of $1,000 was won by Brandon Lefebvre, the second prize of $500 was awarded to Jillian Drummond, and Micah Reimer won the $250 third prize. GPRC's own Acoustic Music Diploma student, Jessica McCormick won the People's Choice Award, which is based on votes purchased by audience members during the show.
Business instructor Cibylla Rakestraw teaches the Marketing Project Management class, and extends her congratulations to the winners and to everyone who contended to be the next Peace Country Idol. “I am also very proud of the students who have worked so hard to make this a success,” Rakestraw says. “They are feeling happy and proud of their accomplishment with this event. We're looking forward to 2015!”
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