02/11/11 The third annual Dancing with the Stars extravaganza held last Saturday night at the Swan Lake Resort netted over $68,000.
The event is a major-fundraiser for the Marshall County Neighborhood Center and the Five-Star program at Lincoln Junior High in Plymouth.
One of the organizers and Neighborhood Center Board President, Chad Barden, opened the program with the announcement that they had pledges of $55,000. The public could vote for their favorite dance couples at $20 per vote prior to the event.
During the event, a silent auction and live auction netted close to an additional $10,000, according to Barden. The auction items were all donated from the community. Donating his services for the live auction was Dave Goebel.
More pledges made during the night brought the total significantly higher, ending with a final tally of over $68,000. The first year, they were able to raise $40.000 and the second, $55,000.
Barden indicated that with the tough economic times, they are now serving 1,500 clients each month. That total is up from the 900 served last year. He said, “That number is 5 percent of the population of Marshall County.”
Sixteen dance numbers, ranging from freestyle waltzes to Hip Hop to Salsa kept the audience cheering. In this portion of the event, professional dancers were paired with a community “celebrities”. The winners of the dance contest were the two couples with the most votes. First place was captured by Devan Garcia and Esther Thompson with 542 votes. Second place fell to Robert Pickell and Mary Raimondi with 473 votes.
Carol Anders Correspondent
