The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults said that the sixth year of Dancing with the Chattanooga Stars garnered over $170,000 to benefit agency programs.
Over 900 people attended the event to see local celebrities strut their stuff and raise money for Partnership programs. Professional dancer Tony Dovolani with his partner, Ashly Del Grosso Costa of ABC’s hit show “Dancing with the Stars” also performed two routines. Randy Owen, lead singer of the country and southern rock band Alabama and Dennis Haskins, “Mr. Belding” on “Saved by the Bell,” were in attendance to cheer on the dancers.
Local celebrity dancers selected programs to raise funds through the dancing competition. Several dancers took on unique approaches to the competition by having separate fundraisers to up this year’s ante. From wine tastings and mambo lessons to strong Facebook campaigns, each dancer set a personal fundraising goal for this year’s event. Dr. Ira Kraus of Advanced Foot Care won Judges Choice; Gina Sakich of Real Estate Partners won this year’s Fan Favorite award while Lisa Nausley of Sandler Training took home the coveted “Grand Dancing Champion” mirror ball trophy.
The DWTCS 2013 local celebrity lineup and their chosen Partnership program included:
Dr. Ira Kraus – Podiatrist, Advanced Foot Care – danced for Family Connections Supervised Visitation Program
James McKissic – Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Urban League of Chattanooga – danced for Youth Services
Andy Moore – Vice President of Private Client Services, First Tennessee Bank – danced for Consumer Credit Counseling
Lisa Nausley – Chief Executive Officer, Sandler Training- danced for Family Services Counseling
David Padilla – Dean of 11th and 12th Grades, Baylor School – danced for Rape Crisis Center
Ferris Robinson – Editor of Mountain News, Independent Writer and Published Author – danced for Family Violence Center
Gina Sakich – Real Estate Broker, Real Estate Partners Chattanooga – danced for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
Dawn Weber – Manager Community Trust and Health Foundation, BlueCross BlueShield of TN – danced for Elder Services
"this was our 6th annual event and it was spectacular", says Sandra Hollett, Partnership CEO. “The dancers were so talented and entertaining. Each year the show continues to grow and the performances continue to amaze our audiences. Partnership’s Dancing with the Chattanooga Stars is widely recognized as the leading event of its type in Chattanooga, and we look forward to next year’s show.”