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Model contest set for Saturday
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Forsyth County News

If you're going

* HobbyTown USA is in Cumming Town Center, 2435 Market Place Blvd. Contact: (678) 965-4405.
* Registration begins at 11 a.m. and judging at 1 p.m. Awards will be presented at 3:30 p.m.
* Entry fees are $3 for first model and $1.50 for additional entries.
* For more information about the Georgia Mountain Modelers, log on to www.mountainmodelers.org.

The talent of many local model builders will be on display Saturday during a contest at a Cumming hobby shop.

Building scale-sized replicas of cars, aircraft and military vehicles is the passion of a surprising number of Forsyth County residents, according to enthusiast Keith Pruitt, who said he'll be competing in this year's event at HobbyTown USA.

Winners from the model contest could advance to a national competition, a feat Pruitt said several local folks have accomplished in the past.

"We've got some talented people here," said Pruitt, who is the president of Cumming-based Georgia Mountain Modelers, a group of hobbyists who meet once a month to talk shop.

Pruitt plans to enter this year's event, which is open to the public for viewing and for those wishing to compete.

HobbyTown manager Mike Lane said there's usually between 40 and 50 models on display during the biannual competition.

"It's interesting to see what all can be done," said Lane, adding that models can be viewed from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday.

It costs $3 to enter the competition and $1.50 for every additional model entry.

Victory in the local contest brings a $25 gift certificate from the store. The overall winner Saturday advances to the store's higher stakes national competition.

Lane encouraged "anybody who thinks they have a halfway decent model" to enter Saturday's event.

Pruitt said the contest is sure to boast "a pretty good mixture of different sizes, scales and different genres for people to check out."

The Georgia Mountain Modelers will team up with HobbyTown USA later this year to donate kits and supplies to overseas troops.

Last year, the club shipped $400 worth of kits to soldiers for the "Hobbies for Heroes" program.

E-mail Frank Reddy at frankreddy@forsythnews.com.