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LOCAL PROFESSIONALS PUT PASSION AND TALENT TO WORK FOR A GOOD CAUSE

July 2, 2018
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Dancer and physician assistant Zachary “Zach” Leonard and Donna Werking, owner of Northern AZ Social, danced for a cause on April 14 at the 2nd annual Dancing for the Stars (DFTS) event held at the Elks Theatre and Performing Arts Center. The event raised more than $220,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona.

Ten dance teams were selected to perform. The teams are made up of celebrities and professional dancers in the community. In addition to learning a dance routine, they brought together friends and sponsors in support of local Boys & Girls Clubs.

Werking was selected as a celebrity dancer and paired with Leonard, who performed as a dancer in the 2017 Dancing for the Stars event. Leonard has been dancing since age 11 and specializes in hip hop, but is also experienced in tap, jazz and contemporary dance. In last year’s event, he performed with Leza Dandos, DJ for Magic 99.1FM, and took home the Judges Choice Award for a 1970s-themed performance on hoverboards. Zach is a physician assistant at the Prescott Valley NextCare Urgent Care and at Yavapai Regional Medical Center’s emergency room.

Werking has lived in Prescott for more than 23 years. She has provided marketing services for more than 13 years to the Prescott area. This has allowed her to work with many organizations in the Quad-city area.

Q&A with the Dancers

Q. Have either of you danced before?

Donna: I had two weeks of dance lessons from Leo Gallegos at Switch Performing Arts, but that was four years ago.  Learning samba was another world to me.

Zach: I’m primarily a hip-hop dancer, but I started out doing tap and jazz as a young kid. However, I’ve never danced samba.

Q. How much time and dedication does it take to prepare for Dancing for the Stars?

Zach: I knew the more time committed to practicing, the more polished the performance would be. We pulled our routine together in about four months.

Q. How did you mentally and physically prepare for your performance?

Donna: I would’ve liked to incorporate yoga to increase my flexibility, but our dance practices were often three hours, three-four times per week.

Zach: Mentally, I would study the performances of Latin ballroom professionals to learn the subtleties of their showmanship and partner-work. Also, words of affirmation and a big hug from my partner were immensely helpful to ease nerves prior to performing. Physically, I stayed in shape by swimming, running and weight-training to keep my endurance up.

Q. Did you set goals for your performance?

Donna: If I agreed to perform, I wanted Zach to be my partner. We chose the most difficult Latin dance and we wanted it to be fast. We wanted a cool song and loud costumes.

Q. How did you come up with your dance?

Zach: We first selected a song – Calabria (Remix with Pitbull) – that had the energy we were trying to invoke. Next, we agreed on several classic samba steps that absolutely had to make it into the routine. Finally, we filled in the gaps with moves that were full of rhythm and personality. Our expert consultant Marina Rogova-O’brien was paramount in teaching us all of the technicalities.

Q. When did you know you wanted to do the samba?

Donna: Right away I saw the samba on Dancing for the Stars performed by Lindsay Arnold and Jordan Fisher and my mind was set!

Zach: You know, when your partner is inspired and feels passionate about dancing a certain style, I felt empowered to choreograph a saucy routine that exceeded her expectations.

Q. When did you decide on your outfits?

Donna: I bought my red dress two months out. I actually bought two dresses! Ironically, when they did not arrive from China by April, Marnie Uhl from the Prescott Valley Chamber let me borrow two backup dresses. She was a lifesaver! The dress I performed in came in a week before the show.

Zach: I ordered my costume from China, too. Miraculously, it fit like a glove! We both decided early on that we wanted our costumes to be red and spicy. Since Day One I started practicing in a pair of proper ballroom shoes because I knew the 1.5-inch heel would take some getting used to.

Q. What are your final thoughts on dancing for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona?

Donna: I was told that you should always say yes to an opportunity because one day you won’t be asked, and that moment will pass you by. This was a moment that supported a greater cause, so I could not be more thrilled to be a part of it.

Zach: I never dreamed that I would be asked to serve the community in such a unique way. I’ve made some lifelong friends in the process, and most importantly, we’ve helped raise a huge amount of funds for the clubs. I’d like to continue doing what I can to support the youth in our area.

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LOCAL NEWS: The Northern Arizona VA in Prescott has provided an update on their Homeless Veteran Program. . . .PRESCOTT, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona VA Health Care System’s Homeless Veteran Program, along with its community partners, housed 445 Veterans in 2022, exceeding their target goal by 157%.Nationally, the 2022 goal was to house 38,000 homeless Veterans— a goal that was exceeded by 6.3%. The Department of Veterans Affairs remains committed to ending Veteran homelessness and increasing housing placements is critical to achieving this goal.“This success is a result of efforts built on the evidence-based ‘Housing First’ approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing, then provides the Veteran with the support they need to stay housed,” said Steve Sample, Medical Center Director.In Northern Arizona, there are a variety of services designed to house homeless Veterans. The VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program includes VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers that provide formerly homeless Veterans with subsidized housing and a wraparound, interdisciplinary case management team to address issues that may have contributed to homelessness. The program provides justice outreach services, employment services, health care services through the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team, outreach, and transitional housing support. The VA also works closely with community partners to house homeless Veterans through a system called Coordinated Entry, where community agencies along with the VA regularly meet to coordinate efforts and ensure homeless Veterans do not fall through the cracks.“We are fortunate that there is so much support for helping homeless Veterans in our area,” said Jessica Taylor, Homeless Program Coordinator for the Northern Arizona VA. “This success could not have been possible without great collaboration between our community partners, Housing Authorities, Tribal partnerships, and support from our local communities.”Looking ahead, the VA will continue to explore new avenues to house homeless Veterans and overcome housing barriers. In collaboration with U.S VETS, Gorman & Company, and the Arizona Department of Housing, a supportive housing project on the grounds of the VA’s Fort Whipple campus is in the initial planning stages. The VA is also expanding outreach to ensure that homeless Veterans are aware of services available to them. For Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness— or if you know of homeless Veterans in need of assistance, call 877-424-3838.For more information on renting to or hiring homeless Veterans, visit: www.va.gov/homelessAbout the Northern Arizona VA: Through its main campus in Prescott, along with Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, and Anthem— with additional clinics in Tuba City, Page, Kayenta, Chinle, Holbrook, and Polacca, the Northern Arizona VA provides services to approximately 33,000 Veterans over a catchment area of more than 65,000 square miles.. . .www.facebook.com/VAPrescott ... See MoreSee Less

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Empty Bowls of Prescott Arizona has announced that it will distribute $24,000 to local foodbanks! Their 2022 Empty Bowls fundraising event took place in September, and donations can be made year round on their website.prescott-empty-bowls.square.site ... See MoreSee Less

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