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Two award-winning Gore country music stars are putting on a show to help them get to a national competition in October.
Meila Scully, 13, of Riversdale, and Heather Thacker, of Gore, who won their age categories at the Southern Country Music Awards in July, will perform at a fundraising event at the Riversdale Hotel on Sunday.
Their overall wins in the junior and veteran categories respectively, meant they both qualified to compete at the New Zealand Country Music Association (NZCMA) Entertainer of the Year competition, which will be held in Rotorua, on October 10.
The rising stars’ music teacher Kayla Martin said they would love to raise over $1000 to cover the cost of flights.
“’It’s just a really huge honour for the girls to get to this point and then be able to represent the South of New Zealand,” Mrs Martin said.
“It’s pretty special for them.”
Last year, Meila’s cousin, Georgia Martin, 13, won Junior Entertainer of the Year at the NZCMA Entertainer of the Year Awards in Tauranga.
She will also attend the Rotorua awards as a guest artist.
“It takes a lot of hard work for the girls to be able to be eligible to go up to the Entertainer of the Year [Awards],” Mrs Martin said.
On Sunday, Meila will also perform with her cousins as part of eight-piece band Halton Hart.
Some of her other students will also perform on the night, Mrs Martin said.
There will be raffles at the event.
The fundraiser will start at 5pm.