Around 200 locals attended the ball and dug deep for charity and raised more than $18,300 on the night.

The money was raised through raffles and an auction on the night, with all of the funds going towards the Country Women’s Association Drought Relief.

The event was hosted by the Kempsey Show Society and was an opportunity for current Kempsey Showgirl, Elizabeth Jackson, to promote the role of Miss Showgirl in the community and raise funds for a worthy cause.

“This is the first year in a long time that a showgirl has done this. I want to show that being showgirl isn’t just a competition, it’s a year-long commitment,” Ms Jackson said. 

The auction on the night saw a number of locally donated items sold. 

“There was a cow hide donated by Macleay Valley Transport that was our highest selling item of the night, it was sold for $2600. Items were also donated by Tracies Gifts and Homewares, Macleay Options and a number of other local businesses.”

Ms Jackson said she hopes the younger generations will be inspired to get involved in the showgirl competition.

“The Ball was a chance for me to put a face to the Kempsey Showgirl and encourage the younger generations to get involved in the Show Society in Kempsey,” Ms Jackson said.

“I hope this event will be held again next year so future showgirls can make a difference and raise money for charities.”

The Country Women’s Association Drought Relief, Ms Jackson’s charity of choice, is run by rural women and provides support for drought-stricken families out west. 

“Show’s and Miss Showgirl competition are a little old fashioned, and that’s really nice to have that, but we need the younger generations to get involved, they can bring new and fresh ideas to the Show Society,” Ms Jackson said.

A number of local businesses supported the charity ball including Kempsey Stock and Land, Macleay Options, Macleay Valley Veterinary Services, Coastline Credit Union, Ellerslie Flowers and Eagle Insurance.

The Kempsey Show Society would like to thank everyone involved with making the night a big success.