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MES fourth grader meets Hilary Duff

Staff writer

School was the farthest thing from Cara Martin's mind Aug. 23 as the fourth grader went about her daily routine at Marion Elementary.

The Sunday night before Cara had attended a concert at the Kansas Coliseum in Wichita featuring her idol, Hilary Duff, singer and star of the Disney Channel TV show, "Lizzie McGuire."

Not only did Cara attend the concert, she also had the opportunity to meet her idol face-to-face and be photographed with the star.

Taking her prized photograph and wearing the wristband which allowed her to get backstage, Cara was the center of attention among nine- and 10-year-old girls at MES.

"People saw it and said 'Did you see Hilary Duff?'" Cara recalled. "Then Erin (one of the girls) began showing the picture to everybody."

For Cara, getting to attend the concert was in itself a surprise.

"Cara didn't know she was going until two days before," explained her mother, rural Marion resident Melissa Zieammermann. "Mom surprised her with the tickets."

Although the concert attendance was planned, the backstage trip wasn't.

"We were looking for a bathroom without a long line," Melissa explained with a chuckle. "We went downstairs to a bathroom by the stage."

Coming out, Cara and Melissa saw another line. "I told Cara we'd go see what's happening."

While in line, a man gave them orange wristbands and the next thing they knew mother and daughter were backstage meeting Hilary Duff.

"They said 'no pictures, no autographs'," Melissa recalled. "We were backstage about 10 minutes along with about 50 other people."

Once backstage the two were ushered along — assembly-line style — to meet Hilary Duff.

"I said 'Hi,' and she said, 'Hi, how are you sweetie?'" Cara recalled.

A member of Duff's entourage then photographed mother and daughter with the star and Duff's sister, Hailey, also a singer, and quickly ushered them out.

"(Hillary) looks a lot different than she does on 'Lizzie McGuire'," Cara said. "She's very short."

Cara should know. She's been watching the Disney show for two or three years, she said.

Mother Melissa said she was interested in the other people who were backstage preceding the concert.

"The family right behind us in line was a military family," Melissa said. "We found out that Hilary Duff bought concert tickets for people who were in the military."

Following the concert, Cara and Melissa thought they'd try finding the star yet again and decided to wait outside near her tour bus.

"We waited and waited but she never came out," Cara said.

After awhile they determined that Hilary — like Elvis before her — had probably "left the building."

Cara said the concert itself was exciting and Hilary sang almost all her songs.

"It was almost as loud (in the Coliseum) as when I play my CD player," Cara said.

One of the high points of the concert for Cara was learning that Duff's drummer was a female.

"I want to be a drummer," Cara said.

Apparently, it runs in the family since Melissa said she used to play the drums.

Melissa said the audience at the concert was comprised nearly entirely of nine and 10 year old girls and their mothers, although there were a few fathers present.

"My husband, Matt, stood in line at (a grocery store) to buy two tickets for the Hilary Duff concert. He said it was the most embarrassing moment of his life," Melissa said with a laugh.

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