Now the organization appears to have found another.

On Sunday, Oct. 21, Junior Achievement of NENY held its inaugural High School Battle of the Bands contest from noon – 6 p.m. at Northern Lights in Clifton Park. The event sponsored by Time Warner Cable and Channel 103.1 FM showcased eight local bands primarily made up of area high school students.

Saratoga Springs’ Brother Aside was the big winner of the night. The rock septet will soon appear on Jason Keller’s show “Big Break” on 103.1 FM and also receive a slot opening for a national act at a future gig at Northern Lights.

“We had a lot of fans at the show. We knew we had a good shot at winning,” said Leejay Pollacchi, the group’s rhythm guitarist. “It was really fun, and for a good cause.”

JABB 2007 also featured a post-contest benefit concert with Dead Lift, Out of Control Rhythm and Blues Band and Origin, as well as a Guitar Hero contest. All proceeds from the night benefited Junior Achievement.

Junior Achievement of NENY Marketing Director Tovah Lisky said approximately 250 people attended JABB 2007. Lisky believes the event is a great way to reach a large segment of the K-12 demographic they serve.

“This was extremely successful, and we hope to do it again,” she said.

Dead Lift’s vocalist Scott Thomson and Junior Achievement Board Member John Blowers came up with the idea of having a battle of the bands for high school kids to raise money for the organization. Thomson and Blowers work together at General Electric.

Blowers, who also served as co-chair for the event, said Junior Achievement NENY hadn’t introduced a new special event in roughly a decade. He was pleased with how things went, and is looking forward to doing it again next year.

“I think this event is a good way to engage the folks who benefit from what Junior Achievement does,” Blowers said.

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest and fastest growing organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise through age-appropriate curricula. Junior Achievement of NENY currently serves more than 24,400 young people in approximately 1,190 classrooms from Poughkeepsie to Glens Falls.

For more information, call 783-4336 or visit www.janeny.org.