CARLYLE - Teagan Littlechief and Chris Henderson came to entertain the crowd and support worthy causes on Feb. 9 at the Carlyle Memorial Hall.
Upon entering the hall, people saw several silent auction items that were displayed for bids. There was also a table with Henderson and Littlechief's merchandise, which included her new brand of coffee.
An acoustic guitar donated by Troy Foster from Foster’s in Carlyle had Littlechief and Henderson’s signatures. Throughout the night, 50/50 tickets were for sale
This event was to be held last December to raise funds for Telemiracle and the Bright Eyes Dog Rescue, but due to Littlechief contracting the flu and being unable to perform, the event was postponed, which created more anticipation for those who needed to wait to hear the pair sing.
A meal of bannock burgers and smokies was provided by the White Bear Education Complex. The Carlyle District Lions Club ran the bar and donated the profits as well to the cause.
Henderson opened the show. He was once a high school teacher in the southeast, but now has released 16 singles, been nominated for 40 awards, and has entertained across Canada.
The two-time Saskatchewan Country Music Association (SCMA) award winner started his singing career in the early 2000s.
In 2010 he entered a contest sponsored by the Big Dog 92.7 FM radio station in Regina, now Pure Country. The prize was $15,000 and a showcase at the Canadian Country Music Awards in Edmonton.
Henderson was crowned the winner, and he went to the studio to begin his work on his album. He resigned from teaching and focused full time on his music career.
He started the concert on Saturday with I’ll be Your Mountain. Never Seen Saskatchewan is his latest single and was well received by the crowd.
Littlechief was the featured act. She started her career at the age of 15, when she entered a contest for GX94 in Yorkton in 2002. Her name would be etched in history as the first from the First Nations community to clinch the GX94 title.
Celine Dion and the late Selena inspired Littlechief, but her comfort zone was in country music. She is not afraid to go for the high notes with her powerful voice.
Over the years her career has climbed with performances at the Bow Valley Jamboree, festivals from all over and the 109th Grey Cup in Regina, where she sang the national anthem in English, French and Cree.
She is also an advocate for addictions and abuse and is a frequent speaker on the topics.
Littlechief walked on stage and started her performance with her new single Need you to Go.
For several hours, Littlechief and Henderson belted out song after song to a crowd of eager listeners.
“I could not have asked for a better turnout,” said Littlechief.
She had not organized an event like this in a long time and it was a learning curve for her all over again.
“Chris Henderson was the icing on the cake for entertainment,” she said. “The band was excellent and so was the sound.”
She said the volunteers were amazing and the donations were superb.
“The people were the real gems because without them the night would not have been possible,” said Littlechief.
The acoustic guitar, Telemiracle merchandise, and the performers' merchandise door prize was won by Tannis Wilson, and the 50/50 was won by Nicole Currie.
A event raised $1,250 for each of TeleMiracle and the same to Brights Eyes Dog Rescue.
Littlechief has plans for the future to hold another similar event, but has not decided on the date, and asks everyone to stay tuned.
For now she will focus on Telemiracle 48 coming up on Feb. 24 and 25, which she will be a part of as a member of the national cast, and she is extremely excited to be involved in this huge fundraiser.
