BY FAYE M. DASEN

Features Editor

Eighteen competitors with talents ranging from comedy to vocals to playing a Distonia button box took the stage Saturday night at the Sunrise Theater for the first Sandhills Has Talent competition.

The Links Barbershop Quartet, one of the many quartets from the Golf Capital Chorus, took the $500 grand prize - and immediately donated that amount back to MIRA Foundation USA, which was the beneficiary of the fundraiser.

"We (the Chorus) give around $20,000 to local nonprofits each year," quartet member Larry Harter told the audience. "And we are happy to give this $500 to MIRA."

The judges included Cinny Beggs, and John and Sylvia O'Connor.

Some of the other competitors included the Jus' Right Bluegrass Band, who opened the show with two toe-tapping numbers, and Samantha Duerring, who sang "A Living Prayer." Duerring is one of the local recipients of a guide dog, Gale, from MIRA, which helps provide guide dogs for children ages 11-17. The youngest contestant was 4-year-old Malekai Marvelous, who danced to "Holly Rock."

Sandhills Community College student Zack Erickson rapped about the "Trials of College Life," and J.R. Schrimpsher entertained the audience with his original cowboy hip hop "Yee Haw." Vocalists included Janna Ptak, Vince Mann, Katie Wallace, Lizzie Womack, Jordan Crawford, Samantha Burns, Tanna Stafford and Tony Mitchell.

Hunter Downing performed classical guitar music, and Joe Frye played and sang the blues, while Anita Pawlack played a Slovenian waltz on the button box. Fourteen-year-old comedian Caleb Elliott had the audience in stitches. with his routine.

Beth Daniels, executive director of MIRA Foundation USA, says that the event raised more than $4,000.

"We will definitely be back next year after tweaking a few things we learned from this first go round," she says. "The feedback has been very positive. Those who attended have said it was 'high energy,' 'high quality' and a 'whole lot of fun.'"

Contact Faye Dasen at fdasen@thepilot.com.