Riverside Gospel Sing, a Christian based worship program through Riverside Campground in Ponzer, will host Jamesville’s Sarah Hardison, a southern gospel singer, on Saturday night.

According to Bennett Emory, director of Riverside Gospel Sing, the program has offered Christian worship on Saturday nights through hosting local gospel singers and musicians for area residents since October 1985. A retiree who moved to the campground and collaborated with the owner to start hosting gospel singers started the program. A few weeks after, Emory became involved in helping plan and run the program, eventually taking over a couple years after.

“We usually have a local group who starts the program, followed by a featured group,” said Emory.

The free program brings residents from within a 50-mile radius, according to Emory.

“I don’t get very many campers at all,” Emory said. “Mostly, its people who come from all around and followers of the singers.”

According to Sarah Hardison, the program’s feature for Saturday, she has performed for the program two or three times a year for the past five or six years. She is well known for having won the 2010 Beaufort County Idol.

“I asked her if she would come sing for us and she agreed to it,” Emory said. “That was when she was back in high school, but she is really good.”

Hardison, a Jamesville native, said that she started singing in church when she was about eight years old and enjoys that she is able to continue her love for singing through events and programs such as Riverside’s Gospel Sing. Hardison sings southern gospel songs as well as traditional hymns for its audience.

“I think just the atmosphere, when you go there you can tell that the Holy Spirit is there,” said Hardison. “There are good people who put it on. Mr. Bennett and his wife are so dedicated to it and they’ve done it for so many years. It’s just a great place to be.”

Riverside Gospel Sing starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday nights at Riverside Campground. The campground is located at 272 Riverside Campground Road in Belhaven.

For more information, call Bennett Emory at 252-926-8621.