It was a show and fundraiser two years in the making but it was so worth the wait. After the money and votes were counted from this year’s Dancing with the Stars for Hope, four teams had mirrorball trophies and Circle of Hope had nearly $99,000 to help victims of domestic violence.
The event was held Sunday, September 26, at the Habersham Central High School Fine Arts Auditorium. For the past six years, it’s been the hottest ticket in town, but this year, organizers limited the live audience to competitors’ families and sponsors because of the COVID surge.
The competition-style fundraiser — a take on the popular ABC television show Dancing with the Stars — was streamed live. Virtual audience members voted by texting donations to their favorite teams.
This year’s teams were holdovers from last year’s event which was canceled because of the pandemic.
“The real event started in September 2019 when these dancers committed to raise funds for Circle of Hope and the families we serve,” Circle of Hope Executive Director Suzanne Dow told the audience at the end of Sunday’s dance-off. “I’ve driven them crazy for the past year and a half. We picked dates, we canceled dates; we’ve made all sorts of changes along the way. The fact they’re here tonight, I think they deserve a big round of applause.”
In the nearly two years since organizers first began planning the event, Habersham County-based Circle of Hope has served 1,042 victims of domestic violence through its emergency shelters for women and children, outreach, and other programs. All totaled, this year’s event raised $98,606 to support those efforts.
And the winners are…
Four of the seven teams that competed Sunday afternoon in Mt. Airy walked away with trophies.
The three teams that raised the most money received People’s Choice awards. The father-daughter High Voltage team of Brent and Mallory Edwards came in first. They raised a remarkable $46,654 — 47% of the overall total. Alice Dover and Bo Hatchett of Live in HD placed second with $12,782. And the mother and son duo of Lisa and Wyatt Nicholson of team Healthy Harmony placed third, raising $9,825.
The audience voted for The Most Entertaining Team and awarded that honor to the Spirit Movers. Kathy Ausburn and Rev. Andy Chambers got help from cheerleaders with their rendition of Footloose, proving preachers can (and do) dance.
Judges scored the competition and awarded mirror ball trophies to their top three picks. First place went to Live in HD for their take on the Blues Brothers, with guest appearances by ‘saxophone-playing’ deputies and Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell portraying a ruler-wielding nun. High Voltage placed second and Spirit Movers took third.
Other teams competing Sunday included The Dancing Rebelz Lynne Warren and Jeremy Bishop, Zip ‘N Style Meg and Josh Luke, and Jazzy-Cisers Andrea Irvin, Vanessa Terrell, Norma Garza, Sherry Heimberger, Marva Griffith, Melanie Acker, and Misty Troyer.
In addition to the competition, the nearly two-hour-long program included special performances by the Habersham Central High School Stage Raiders, cast members of the Habersham Community Theater’s upcoming production of Big Fish, and the Clarkesville School of Dance.
This year’s judges were the former owner of the School of Dance in Toccoa Alina Reed, Atlanta-based dance instructor Carissa Kubitz and Piedmont University’s Vice President for University Advancement Craig Rogers.
Hosting duties fell to emcees Bobby Palmer and Clay Christy.
The live performance was recorded and may be viewed on Vimeo above or on the Circle of Hope website. Organizers say planning for next year’s event will soon be underway.
