Yamin co-chairman of diabetes campaign

Along with being a pop star and "American Idol" finalist, Elliott Yamin has a new title to tack onto his résumé -- co-chairman of a diabetes campaign.

Former Richmonder Yamin will head to Washington on Wednesday to champion the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's "Promise to Remember Me" campaign and to ask Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, to support the renewal of the Special Diabetes Program.

Yamin, who turned 29 last week, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 16. If the diabetes program is not renewed, federal support for type 1 diabetes research will be cut 35 percent.

Joining Yamin in Washington will be two Richmond natives: 7-year-old Ned Schutt, a 2007 JDRF Children's Congress delegate who has battled type 1 diabetes since age 3, and Mike Anderson, who also has diabetes.

Yamin will be co-chairman of the advocacy campaign for a year.

The singer's self-titled debut album has sold more than 300,000 copies on the strength of his hit ballad "Wait for You."

George Jones at Landmark Sept. 9

Country legend George Jones is coming to Richmond. Jones, who has been making records for more than 50 years, will perform at Richmond's Landmark Theater on Sept. 9.

Also announced yesterday, the Underground King Tour will roll into Richmond on Aug. 4. The hip-hop show will feature rappers Pleasure, Project Pat and Yo Gotti.

Tickets for both shows are available through Ticketmaster and the Landmark box office. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. today. For details, call (804) 646-4213 or (804) 262-8100 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Christmas in July show tomorrow

Offering, a Richmond acoustic rock band, will play an eight-hour, Christmas in July show tomorrow in conjunction with a food drive to benefit Central Virginia Foodbank.

The concert will be from 1 to 9 p.m. at the Positive Vibe Café, 2825 Hathaway Road in the Stratford Hills Shopping Center. The show will feature Christmas music, and the public is encouraged to bring nonperishable food items such as canned tuna, canned vegetables and peanut butter to help those in need.

Positive Vibe Café is a nonprofit organization that trains and employs people with disabilities.

For details, visit www.positivevibecafe.com or www.offeringband.com.

Chester woman a contest finalist

Mary Gentry of Chester is a Top 5 finalist in FameCast's dance category.

What's FameCast, you say?

It's sort of like "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance." Except it's online, not on TV. And it showcases half a dozen kinds of talents, not two. And votes are based on videos, not live performances.

Except for the Top 5 competition. FameCast will fly Gentry and her four male competitors to Austin, Texas, to perform for a live webcast at 9 p.m. Thursday.

The winner, based on voting at famecast.com, will receive $10,000. (At the Web site, click on Stages, then on Stage 10: Dance.) The top vote-getter, aka FameCast Fenom, will be announced Aug. 9.

Gentry, 19, was one of 100 competitors in the dance category when she entered the online talent contest. She is a graduate of Thomas Dale High School and a rising junior at George Mason University.

"Dance is my life," she says, "and I would love all the support I can get from Virginia for this competition."

For more on Gentry, visit nycasting.com/MaryGentry.