Teen beauty set to put Waiharara on the map

30th July 2010

A fundraiser in Kaitaia on Saturday night aims to help Northland teenager Cody Yerkovich compete in the Miss World contest in China later this year.

The 18-year-old from Waiharara, north of Kaitaia, was crowned Miss New Zealand in April, the first Northlander to wear the coveted sash since 1969.

She will compete against 134 other women for the title of Miss World in the Chinese city of Sanya on October 30. The catch is she'll need to pack up to 20 evening gowns and double that number of casual outfits - and she has to come up with the money herself, unlike some of the other competitors who are state-sponsored.

A fundraising concert for Cody starts at 3pm tomorrow at Twin Peaks tavern  and features kapa haka, line dancing and Andy "Elvis" Stankovich.  Tickets are available at JRz Dairy in Awanui, the Houhora Wharf Store, Twin Peaks and Steed's Dairy at Waiharara.

 Mayor Wayne Brown said Cody would "put Waiharara on the world map".