Country music band Steel Magnolia played a free concert on campus Wednesday as part of the "Cell Phones for Soldiers" contest.

From Oct. 17 to Nov. 18, 39 Raleigh-area schools competed to donate the most used cellphones to their local Chevrolet dealerships, which recycled the phones and used the funds to buy calling cards for soldiers overseas.

East Wake High won by donating 236 cellphones to the Universal Chevrolet dealership in Wendell, beating out Jack Britt High of Fayetteville, which donated about 210 phones. About 5,700 phones were donated throughout the region.

"We got pretty into it those last couple of weeks," East Wake campus manager Craig Baker said. "I'm excited ... we've never done anything like this and I'm glad we're able to help the troops."

Students were let out of class for the show, which started about 2 p.m. Only students who made the Principal's List (A honor roll), had perfect attendance, or worked with FFA (which organized donations) were allowed to attend.

Hanadee Abu-Zayed, Jarred Hamilton, Samantha Smith, and Bethany Tant got permission to mingle with the band backstage.

Meghan Linsey, duet partner of Joshua Scott Jones of Steel Magnolia, was ill and did not travel to the school.

Jones doled out smiles, T-shirts, and autographs as he met with students.

"It was cool because it seems like just the other day I was watching them on that CMT show," Smith said the band's discovery on "Can You Duet?"

Steel Magnolia played a half-dozen songs, including a suggestive love song for Principal Baker, who was invited onstage.

"Having a high-energy crowd like this is always fun," Jones said. "What makes it better is that it's for a great cause."