Up With People does more than sing in Winston.

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By Megan Sweeney

Story Published: Sep 5, 2007 at 5:36 PM PST

The popular traveling group is now in Winston preparing for a big show and while they're there, they're helping with some community service projects too.

The internationally known singing group, Up With People, is set to perform at the Melon Festival Saturday Night.

The cast members stay with local residents, and they get involved in as many community projects as they can, to help improve the area.

Performer Matthew Erley says fixing the stage benefits both the community and performers.

"We wanted to come in and help the community, renovate some of the outside (of the stage), stain it, just make it look a lot better.
It's great for us because we're going to perform here but also we wanted to make an impact on the community that we're in. To come here and be able to help them do something like this is beneficial for everybody."

Several sponsors including the Ford Family Foundation, Winston-Dillard Festival Association and Winston Area Special Projects helped raise money to pay to bring in the group and for the projects' materials.

"We have a lot of donations brought in by people working and living here to help us along with what we're doing, the materials were donated by some of the beneficiaries that we're working with in the community," says Erley.

Up With People Coordinator Mia Hansen is a Winston native who traveled with the group for a year.

She says sponsors helped raise over $20,000 for this event.

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