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'Dancing With Our Stars' proves successful
The idea of seeing some of the community's best-known denizens trip the light fantastic was clearly one Fort Scott residents relished as the first-ever "Dancing With Our Stars" sold out all 600 seats Saturday night.
The fundraising event, put on by Fort Scott Rotary, collected $8,015 for 11 charities, Chairwoman Belynda Davenport said.
"It just went beyond our expectations," said Lisa Ward, who is on the Rotary board of directors and sponsors the Fort Scott High School Interact Club, Rotary's service club for youngsters age 12-18. "We were hoping to sell half of them (the tickets)." She added that if Saturday turned out as organizers hoped, it would likely be an annual event.
First-place winners were Emmah Reeves and Thomas Nighswonger. They won $300 for their charity, Ronald McDonald House, which offers rooms for families of pediatric patients under 21.
Second-place winners Bob Beckham and Deb McKenney earned $200 for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Volunteers for CASA are everyday people appointed by judges to speak up for the safety and well-being of children removed from their homes due to parental abuse and neglect, the organization's website said.
The People's Choice award was earned by Sally Cullor and Jim Smith. Audience members voted for People's Choice recognition by placing contributions in an organization's fish bowl in the lobby during intermission. Cullor and Smith garnered more than $2,725 for the charity of their choice, Mercy Cancer Care Unit, Davenport said.
Smith, a local business owner, has been dancing since he was 61 -- his current age, while his partner, Cullor, has been a teacher for 26 years, instructing in debate, forensics, English and drama. She was also on the University of Kansas Dance Team.
Cullor said they picked the cancer center as their charity because her mother and sister-in-law and a dear friend, Kathy Ellis, all died of cancer. "I just thought it was wonderful that people gave that much to charity," Cullor said.
She added that Smith was a character. "I'm glad I got to meet him and got to know him. It was an honor to dance with him," Cullor said. "... I made up the routine and he learned it pretty well. He was very intent on doing a perfect job."
For his part, Smith said he had reservations about being one of the dancers, but it was a lot of fun. "I really appreciated everyone voting for us. They made a really good choice," he said, adding he had no qualms about asking people for donations.
Interviewed after a dress rehearsal the day of the show, Reeves and Nighswonger found they had a mutual admiration society. Reeves, 12, has been dancing since age 2, while 13-year-old Nighswonger has been dancing since 2008. He won Fort Scott Idol. The two had been rehearsing since the end of January. "He's a wonderful dance partner," Emmah said.
"She's awesome," said Thomas. "This is the first time I've had a dance partner."
J.D. Ettore, Fort Scott Community College athletic director, and Diane Thompson, who teaches dance in town, belly danced for the Kansas Food Bank's Food4Kids backpack program, designed to fill in the weekend gap in existing food programs. It serves children at the highest risk of chronic undernourishment, the Kansas Food Bank website said.
Ettore, a Rotary member, said FSCC Dean of Instruction Donna Estill asked him before the Christmas holidays if he would do something for her, but wouldn't tell him what it was before he committed. "It's been a lot of fun and it was going to be for a really good cause," Ettore said, adding he previously just danced at weddings. He noted Thompson makes the art of belly dancing look easy.
Thompson said Ettore was a great partner. "He show up, he's enthusiastic and he does what I tell him to do. What more can you ask for -- and he learns fast," she said.
Geoff Clark, an attorney with Wilbert & Towner in Pittsburg, was paired with Fort Scott National Historic Site Superintendent Betty Boyko doing the polka. Clark said he was nervous before the performance, but was looking forward to it. "She's been great," Clark said, adding he'd never met Boyko before. "I've really enjoyed practicing and dancing."
Davenport was quite happy with Saturday's results and expressed thanks to the participants and supporters.
"Thanks so much to the 11 teams who danced and to their families who endured those long practices and thank you to those who helped teach/perfect the dances. Thanks also to the charities who attended and will benefit from this event as much as Rotary has. And finally, thanks to the people of Fort Scott and surrounding areas who supported our 1st Annual 'Dancing with Our Stars' event. Without your generosity and willingness to make financial donations, this event would not have been nearly as successful. The community support and encouragement well exceeded our expectations," Davenport wrote.
Other dancers included Bryan Holt, vice president of business development at Union State Bank, and Stacy Berry, a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at St. Mary's Catholic School; Kathleen Hinrichs, FSCC director of public relations, and Roger Campbell, instructor of behavioral sciences at Allen County Community College; Ken Clary, owner and operator of Clary Works Excavating, and Nicki Traul, principal at Pleasanton Elementary School; Anyssa Davenport, a freshman at Fort Scott High School, and KEWade Seabolt, a high school junior; Torie Simons and Jared Leek, owner and operator of Front Door Real Estate; and Mauriel Whisenhunt, owner of Body Works and Wellness, and Jim Pitts, a professional building designer, licensed home inspector and owner of Protech Home Services. He also assists his wife, Cynthia McFarland, in operating Life + Style.
Holt and Berry raised funds for St. Mary's Catholic School; Hinrichs and Campbell, FSCC Endowment Student Scholarships; Clary and Traul, United Way; Davenport and Seabolt, Shirley Yeager's Animal Friends, which will be a no-kill animal shelter with groundbreaking tentatively scheduled for the end of May; Simons and Leek, Big Brothers/Big Sisters; Whisenhunt and Pitts, The Beacon, a local food pantry and community assistance agency.
Phil Hammons and Megan Felt were emcees for the show. Judges were Susan Stern, Dave Martin and Patty LaRoche.