Participants danced their way to more than $8,500 in donations for Relay for Life on Saturday at Park Theater.
Dancing With Our Stars featured 11 acts performing a wide range of dance and musical routines.
“It was an overall fun-packed night,” said organizer Elaine Lawson. “We raised a lot of money and had a great time in the process. It’s not too early for contestants to start practicing for next year.”
Dancing With Our Stars has established the first Saturday in November as its regular date and Lawson said it’s full speed ahead for an eighth installment of the event in 2018.
“It takes a lot of practice and time commitment for these teams, not to mention a lot of courage to get up on stage,” said Lawson. “We’ll take singing, dancing or anything someone wants to do.”
Timeless Treasures won the overall grand prize which is awarded for most money raised. The group is composed of dancers who regularly attend the Senior Center.
Melonie Turner and Michael Shane Wilcher won the people’s choice award for raising the most money Saturday night. Attendees got to vote for people’s choice by placing $1 in the jar of their favorite act.
Turner and Wilcher danced to songs “Johnny B. Goode” and “The Power of Love” from the movie “Back to the Future.”
Lawson said thanks largely to Dancing With Our Stars, the Curtis family has been able to donate over $75,000 to Relay for Life.
“If I would have known how much work is involved with this, I never would have started it,” said Lawson. “But it’s not just me. It takes a lot of friends, families and businesses to make it work and I thank everyone for their support.”