CARIBOU – It was clear by the crowd’s reaction on Sunday evening that most of the audience members who jammed into the Caribou Performing Arts Center for the Aroostook Idol finale had never seen a local singer like Annie Charles.

When the 46-year-old Defense Finance and Accounting Services worker from Limestone took to the stage and belted out two roof-raising gospel songs, the audience didn’t stand up from their seats and applaud, they jumped up.

And as Charles, whose stage presence was as big as the CPAC stage itself, kept singing, they kept jumping.

They jumped in place where they stood, whistling, clapping, lighting the CPAC hall with flashbulbs from digital camera. Some shook their heads in amazement at her mesmerizing voice – other just stood there, eyes wide and mouths agape, as she sang.

The ninth performer of the show, Charles vaulted into the Number 1 position after her performances and along the way earned the moniker “The Diva from DFAS” from Scott Voisine, a contest judge.

More than 850 people attended the Idol finale, a contest that pitted 12 vocalists against one another for the right to be the sole Aroostook Idol.

The show is a fundraiser for the United Way of Aroostook County and is the local spin-off of the Fox TV show “American Idol.”

The money raised goes toward the annual campaign to support local agencies working to help the most needy people throughout The County.

Last year nearly $33,500 was raised, compared with $30,000 in 2005.

This year’s show featured four regional sing-offs in Aroostook: one in Houlton, two in Presque Isle, and a fourth in Fort Kent. Two shows were held in Presque Isle due to the huge number of people who wanted to take part.

During Sunday night’s competition, each contestant sang one song before the top three were picked to move on and sing one more song before the winner was crowned.

Charles bested the two other top finalists – 29-year-old Jarad Carney of Mars Hill and Julie Shaw, 23, of Westfield, for the title. With her rich, soulful voice, Charles captivated the crowd with her initial rendition of “That Name” by Yolanda Adams and later with a second selection, “Lord, You Are Holy.”

During her final performance, the audience and the judges were on their feet and cheering midway through the song.

Carney and Shaw also were crowd favorites. Carney earned praise from the judges -along with some declarations of undying love from numerous female audience members – for his rendition of “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias.

Shaw, who sang “Redeemer” by Nicole C. Mullen, was equally impressive with her powerful voice and far-reaching vocal range.

“You knocked it out of the ballpark,” Voisine told her after her performance.

In the end, Charles walked away with the title – the third female vocalist in as many years to do so – and more that $1,250 in prizes.

“I’ve had a wonderful time doing this,” Charles said of the competition, thanking her DFAS colleagues for encouraging her to enter the contest.

With the proceeds from the Idol event, the UWA is now “very close” to reaching its overall goal of raising $460,000 to fund its efforts in Aroostook County, UWA Executive Director Claudia Stevens said on Sunday evening.