October 25, 2017; NH1 News Network

Betsy Andrews Parker, MPH, the chief executive officer of the Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, created this video to promote her organization’s fourth annual Lip Sync Battle at the Dover High School in New Hampshire on Friday, November 17th. Tickets are $5.


Presently, that video has received nearly than 2.4 million views. Dover’s population is approximately 31,000. Parker is well known locally; she serves as vice chair of the town’s board of education, and her Community Action Agency serves 13 cities and towns in Strafford County. But what accounts for that video achieving viral status?

Parker begins her lip-syncing of the Pointer Sisters’ 1984 song “Jump” sitting in a bus seat. Her shoulders begin to move, and soon she takes her throw-down performance to Dover’s Central Avenue.

Her intention was to do something bold to recruit people to compete in and support the Lip Sync Battle. The event drew over 800 people last year for the benefit of the agency’s many programs, such as Head Start, Homeless Outreach, and Fuel Assistance. The end of the video joins Parker with many allies, including two mounted police officers, in true flash mob excellence.

Reporting for NH1, Dave Andreesen will be one of the judges at the Lip Sync Battle. He has known Parker for years, covering school board meetings for WTSN radio and cohosting with Parker a show on NH1’s radio station, 98.7 The Bay. “I knew she was a music lover and had a good sense of humor, but this is a side of her I think we all could use a little more of.” That statement may be the reason why Parker’s video went viral. We all needed this.

When I first saw the video Monday morning, I was so captivated I watched it twice. It was just one of those light-hearted, feel good videos…something you could easily see Ellen DeGeneres doing on her TV show.

“It was really just meant to be something that made people laugh and made people excited so they would come to our event,” Betsey said. “I never could have imagined it would go this way and get so much attention.”

We hope that many of those who watch this video will share it and support Parker’s good cause. We hope that this video will help the Lip Sync Battle break all records.—Jim Schaffer