UTICA - Pope Benedict XVI will be hosting a youth rally Saturday in New York City. One local family says they are excited to be able to go.

Valerie Elacqua and her daughter, Sophia, say they grabbed two tickets as soon as they became available. For Valerie, it's a chance to see another Pope. For her daughter, it's chance to be part of something special.

Valerie Elacqua saw Pope John Paul II, when he came to Yankee Stadium 29 years ago. She says she is hoping the message Pope Benedict delivers to the youth on Saturday will be a similar message.

"Know your faith, understand the truths of your faith, and be courageous enough to live it," said Valerie Elacqua. "I think that's what we will hear and i think we will see a great response from the youth."

Valerie's 14 year old daughter Sophia says that Saturday's youth rally should be "pretty cool."

"Our society today is a throw-away society," said Sophia Elacqua. "Peer pressure everywhere, and the faith will bring you back to where you need to be - put you back on a rock instead of sand."

Scheduled to be appearing with the Pope is Kelly Clarkson and Josh Grobin, two huge pop icons to many of today's youth. But believe it or not, they are not the reason why so many local teens signed up to go.

"Before they signed up, they didn't know Kelly Clarkson is going to be there," said Kelly Colangelo, who is also going to see the Pope. "They didn't know Josh Grobin was going to be there. They only knew the Pope was going to be there and they signed up for that reason."

Kelly Colangelo works with Youth Ministries in New Hartford and Syracuse. She has seen the Pope about 17 times, and looks at this Saturday's trip as a different experience.

"I'm actually taking teenagers, so it's sort of like I'm giving back what I got from the church when I was younger," Colangelo said.

And being there in person, is something Valerie Elacqua can relate to as well. She says its an experience like no other.

"You don't get that sense on TV," Valerie Elacqua said, "But when you're right there in the middle of all that soup of teenagers, I think it's going to be a real interesting, and an energetic exchange. It's something you cant experience on TV."