MIDALE, SASK. — Beautiful songs and fascinating dances, along with guitars, drums, trumpet, flute, clarinet and fiddle performances, carrying imagination away, plus hilarious comedy and a festive atmosphere – Midale had it all in one place at the civic centre during the latest edition of the Midale's Got Talent show.
The event was brought back after almost a decade and saw a lot of support and interest from talented performers, guests and sponsors. On the night of the event, MCed by Estevan's Wendy Godfrey, the place was packed with participants and spectators, who gathered for a great night of entertainment, which was also a fundraiser for the Cymri 4-H Club.
The night saw 13 performers competing for the first three places, which also came with $500, $200 and $100 prizes, provided by an anonymous donor. The invited judges had a tough job of deciding on the most deserving performances. The final scores came in very close, and the winners for the night were Mavrik Espelien of Estevan, first place, Dawson Scrupps of Midale, second place, and Zoey Simpson of Midale, third place.
Ten-year-old drummer Espelien performed two unique songs, accompanied by his father Daniel Espelien on guitar. Scrupps performed a step dance I'm Ready, and four-year-old Simpson performed a Fly Away with Me ballet act.
Judges also announced Isaiah Perdis of Weyburn, who played three different instruments including flute, trumpet and clarinet, and fiddler Sam Ellis of Carlyle, as two runner-ups for the competition.
The event saw participants coming from Midale, Weyburn, Estevan, Carlyle and anywhere in between. Other performers that demonstrated their talents during the night were step dancers Hallie Scrupps of Midale; the Estevan Recreational Dance Club Senior Hip Hop Group, including choreographer Brooke Wilson and dancers Hanna Carter, Jayda and Katie Littlechief, Josa and Marissa Mohr, Lily Patoki, Grace Styre and Emmalee Ursu; singers Megan Zemlak of Estevan, Daviney Berg of Weyburn and RD Jones of Weyburn; comedy performers Lois Feaver and Rebecca Fergusson of Midale; and guitar players and singers Dan Thompson and Gary and Lois Hughes of Midale.
Lois Feaver with the Midale Plus One Club, which organized the event, said they were really satisfied with the night and happy to see the support they received for the event and the 4-H fundraiser. The show attracted many people, and the accompanying raffle, 50/50 and concession sales generated $1,859 for the local 4-H.
"Midale's Got Talent night, hosted by the Plus One Club, was fantastic," Feaver said. "We had such amazing talent that night, with 13 acts altogether. They put on an amazing show."
Feaver praised every performer individually, as each one brought something unique to the show. She noted that the winners absolutely amazed everyone, but other performers had a lot to show as well. The Hughes and Thompson gave the crowd a taste of country life, while Ellis was incredible on the fiddle.
Berg, who also performed during Telemiracle this year, demonstrated her amazing voice singing LeeAnn Rimes' Blue with "such passion, that you would not know that she was only 13 years old," Feaver noted.
"The night was so much fun. I'm so thankful for the support of our community and the way they showed up for us. We had so many people, we had put seating in the balcony of the civic center. So, I'm definitely looking forward to doing it again," Feaver said. "But for now, we will just be working on upcoming fundraisers in the fall along with our summer farmers market."
Feaver thanked the MC for orchestrating the night and adding in some laughs, and also thanked the sponsors.
"We had some generous sponsors to make the whole night possible along with some donations from local community members who just think the club is a worthy cause to support."
Sponsors, including Pro Canada West, Power Tech Industries and Midale Petroleums Ltd., helped the club purchase the big raffle gift item from RJ Smoking and Barbecue Supplies, which was a grill-smoker combo with wood pellet seasoning sauces and a variety of other items, over $2,000 in value. The business also gave the club a good deal, Feaver noted. They also had a Midale Variety Store chip in with a gift certificate to their establishment, and Bob's Meats out of Midale donated a 10-pound box of hamburgers.
The Cymri 4-H Club members volunteered to help with setting up, moving microphones and cleaning after the event.
"They're a great group, the local 4-H club, they're fantastic," Feaver said.
For pictures of the performers, go to our provincial news hub at SaskToday.ca.
