FOR OUR LOCAL BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS
by Clarissa Robertson, Content Manager, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona
The third annual Dancing for the Stars took place April 13, 2019, at the historic Elks Theater in Prescott. This year’s event will be remembered by the creativity and energy of the dancers’ performances and the incredibly entertaining show they pulled off.
The dancers worked hard training and performing, while also raising funds to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona. Their incredible work set a new record and brought in over a third of the annual budget to operate the three local Clubs that serve more than 600 kids a year in the Quad-Cities area.
Presented by the Jewish Community Foundation, Lamb Chevrolet, El Gato Azul, Good Samaritan Society Hospice and James Deep Well Ranch, the event included matinee and evening shows. Tickets for the evening show also included the Red Carpet Reception featuring amazing food from El Gato Azul and professional photos by Blushing Cactus Photography.
The full day of fun concluded with the after-party at the historic Hassayampa Inn. The evening show was pre-booked before the tickets went on sale, demonstrating the amazing support of our community toward this event.
Leza Lachapelle Dandos entertained the audience hosting the show that paired 10 local celebrities with professional dancers to perform a wide variety of dances. The shows also featured local Club kids in a special performance choreographed by Lexe Niekamp. Celebrity judges Cheryl Rolland, Mayor Pro Tem Billie Orr and Greg Raskin added a dose of fun and entertainment to this incredible night.
Megan Holdsworth, who performed with professional dancer Ron Howard, received the Judge’s Choice Award for best performance. Laura Markey, partnered with professional dancer Colten Davault, received the People’s Choice Award with the most votes. Laura also took home the mirror ball for Best Friendraiser, which awards the dancer that raised the highest amount in combined donations. This year’s top four fundraisers were: Laura Markey with $71,024.67; Ken Mabarak with $68,706.66; Veronica Phillips with $64,420.00; and Judd Simmons with $60,051.66.
A special recognition goes to the members of the Multimedia Program, a collaboration between Boys & Girls Clubs and Prescott High School. This program offers opportunities for teens to go beyond classroom walls to implement a variety of media skills. Several of them worked the cameras with friends from Prescott Media Center to not only produce the live show, but to livestream the show around the world.
To date, there have been over 4,200 views on the livestream link, which is still available for viewing at www.dancingforthestars.net.
“It is truly humbling to witness the incredible generosity of our community. We would like to especially recognize the amazing dancers who have worked so hard over the last few months in preparation for this event, all while raising funds for our local Clubs,” says Nicole Kennedy, Interim Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona. “Thank you to our community and all who came together to make this a successful night for our children – our future.”
