Oh Say, They CAN Sing: Foster Farms Bowl 2017 Anthem Winners

SANTA CLARA, CA – The Pitman High School Madrigals, a choral group from Turlock, emerged victorious Monday in a live “Oh Say, Can You Sing” contest and will perform the national anthem at the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl in Santa Clara in front of thousands of college football fans.

The Bowl, set Dec. 27 at Levi's Stadium, will pair Pac-12's Arizona Wildcats against Big Ten's Purdue Boilermakers.

The contest was open to soloists and groups aged 18 and under, residing in the San Francisco Bay Area or the Central Valley, and began with 30- to 45-second video submissions, followed by top contenders auditioning live.

The Madrigals competed among 10 other finalists from the Bay and Central Valley at the live audition Monday before a panel of judges that included 49ers defensive end Dennis Brown and FOX Sports announcer Joe Davis.

"This would be a great experience for the Pitman High School Madrigals. Each student went through extensive audition processes to become a part of the advanced choral ensemble, and they get to experience highly rigorous vocal music education on a daily basis," said Yohan Partan, choir director from Pitman High. "I believe singing the national anthem at the Foster Farms Bowl will affect each student significantly and have a long lasting impact in each of their lives."

In addition to performing at the Bowl, the Madrigals could select a food bank beneficiary and chose the United Samaritans Foundation to receive a donation of 1,000 meals from Foster Farms, a Bowl tradition to help fight hunger.

United Samaritans, a not-for-profit charity established in 1994, delivers food and provides services to the needy and homeless in Stanislaus County.

Foster Farms also will continue its annual tradition of donating one meal to local hunger relief organizations for every Foster Farms Bowl ticket purchased.

Follow this link to buy tickets to the game, a match-up that marks the first-time Purdue and Arizona will compete in the Bay Area’s annual bowl game. The game will be televised live on Fox with a 5:30 p.m. kickoff.

--Images via Foster Farms: Pitman High School Madrigals with judges pictured, from bottom left corner going clockwise - Joe Davis with FOX Sports, Dennis Brown of the 49ers, Laura Johnson of the 49ers and Jennifer Corsiglia-Keim with Foster Farms.

Choir members include: Frances Haydock; Juliette Hickey; Janelle Fuentes; Gracie Brogdon; Jenna Brown; Taylor Camp; Delaney Holmes; Edward Lopez; Giovanni Barros; Francisco Ibarra; Madison Guffey; Morgan Haydock; Emily Monson; Rachel Olthof; Eden Autra; Alea Ramirez; Marissa Staffero; Elyse Swanson; Isaac Aguirre; Joshua Hughes; Julie Ontiveros; Jordan Somers.