An Indiana high school wrecked by tornadoes has won a free concert by country music trio Lady Antebellum after an online campaign that saw students in other states advocate on the school's behalf.
Schools from as far away as northern Wisconsin submitted YouTube videos urging the group to choose Henryville, Ind., as the winner of its "Own the Night" prom contest.
Henryville's schools were heavily damaged when tornadoes ripped through southern Indiana on March 2.
"It brings joy. It brings optimism. It brings everything that our town is in need of right now," said Henryville High School student Erin Hairston. "The community needs it just as much as us as a student body needs it."
Lady Antebellum chose Henryville, but won't be able to perform at the school's prom because of a schedule conflict. Instead, the group will perform May 16 in nearby Louisville, Kentucky, for the school's juniors and seniors, followed by a benefit for the community.
It wasn't even Henryville's video submission that won them the contest. Right down the road, students at one of Henryville's biggest rivals, Silver Creek High School in Sellersburg, sent in a video submission, too. In it, they told Lady Antebellum that Henryville deserved to win.
"It's nice to know that a school from our corporation is the one that sent the video for us to win," Hairston said.
Entries supporting Henryville also came from D.C. Everest Senior High School in Weston, Wis., and from Harrisburg, Ill., where a tornado struck Feb. 29.
"Lady Antebellum is a Grammy-winning music group and we're Henryville. No one knew about us until the tornado happened," Hairston said.
Lady Antebellum announced:
"Three weeks ago, GRAMMY winning trio Lady Antebellum began a contest offering fans a chance to OWN THE NIGHT with a private concert at their prom this spring. After carefully reviewing each submission, the trio unanimously chose the community of Henryville, IN for their story, resilience and unity following devastating tornados earlier this month. Not only was their own submission moving, but schools across the country spontaneously submitted videos campaigning on behalf of Henryville High School to receive the special concert, including the winning submission by Silver Creek High School."
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