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<p>KINGSTON &#8212; This week, at an event at Wyoming Seminary, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/733265/casa-announces-nepa-sings-finalists" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">some of the area&#8217;s best singers will be lifting up their voices</a> to help out an organization that strives to lift up the voices of youths in our area.</p><p>The finals of the annual NEPA Sings competition will be held this Thursday, April 11, at the Kirby Center for the Creative Arts at the Wyoming Seminary Upper Campus.</p><p>NEPA Sings, now in its second year, directly benefits CASA of Luzerne County. CASA, which stands for &#8220;Court Appointed Special Advocates,&#8221; trains community volunteers to act as advocates for abused and neglected children, guiding them as they work their way through the court system.</p><p>John Aciukewicz, executive director of CASA of Luzerne County, said NEPA Sings falls in line with one of CASA&#8217;s main goals.</p><p>&#8220;The idea behind the event was to recognize one of the maxims for CASA, which was to lift up a child&#8217;s voice,&#8221; Aciukewicz said, suggesting that the competition acts as a very literal way to do that.</p><p>He further says that April is the perfect month for the competition.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a way to raise awareness during National Child Abuse Awareness Month in a way that&#8217;s different,&#8221; he said.</p><p>The competition, which saw singers aged 16 to 29 come from all over the Northeastern Pennsylvania region, has progressed over the past few weeks, narrowing the contestants down to a total of 12 finalists.</p><p>Tickets for the finals are $25, and can be purchased online through CASA&#8217;s website, luzernecasa.org, or by stopping in at CASA&#8217;s office at 667 S. River St., Plains Township. Aciukewicz said last year&#8217;s event raised $20,000 for the program.</p><p>Aciukewicz wanted to thank PNC and Geisinger, who act as the competition&#8217;s co-sponsors, along with Medico Industries, who donated a $250 gift card for Ruth&#8217;s Chris Steak House. Every ticket purchased also counts as an entry to win the gift card.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Lisa Percevault, 42, of Mountain Top, sings &#8216;Hallelujah&#8217; on the piano during last year&#8217;s NEPA Sings at Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Kirby Center for the Creative Arts in Kingston. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_TTL041318NepaSings-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Lisa Percevault, 42, of Mountain Top, sings &#8216;Hallelujah&#8217; on the piano during last year&#8217;s NEPA Sings at Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Kirby Center for the Creative Arts in Kingston. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

NEPA Sings event to ‘lift up voices’ of struggling area youths