It was a packed house at the Fisher Branch Community Centre on Saturday night for another community talent show.

More than two-dozen performers took to the stage as part of the fundraiser. Money raised will go toward the Recreation Centre located next door.

Karen Abas is on the board for the centre and went on-stage to help hand out the many awards. She says shows like this are key for the people of Fisher Branch.

"We're kind of a small town, not a lot of money coming into the centre," says Abas. "We've lost a few of our hockey teams, so anything we can do to keep our Rec Centre open and going, means a lot to the community. The young kids still use it for skating and curling. It means a lot to keep it going as long as we can."

Keara Barrett won Most Talented Overall, with Miranda Sanderson finishing second and Josh Lindel winning third. Barrett also won 1st in the karaoke category while Michael Arevalo finshed 2nd. Sanderson and Lindel finished 1-2 in the Live Accompaniment category. Arevalo also won as the overall crowd favourite. Conrad Sanderson won the CFRY Most Promising Performer Award.

Abas was thrilled to learn how much money was raised from all of the contestants and the sponsors.

"It's fantastic. It is. It's a group effort," says Abas. "A lot of people contribute to the Rec Centre and they volunteer. A lot of volunteer hours go into it, so it's really good for everyone involved."

At the end of the night, $18,665 was raised.

"We're going to do some more insulation and tinning in the building," says Abas. "It needs a lot of repairs and upkeep and this will sure help us a lot."

Pledges can still come in until March 3rd. They can be mailed to:

RM of Fisher
PO Box 280
Fisher Branch, MB
R0C 0Z0