It was a beautiful evening of dining, dancing, and entertainment at this year’s Dancing with the Stars fundraising event at Swan Lake Resort. This was the 8th year for Dancing with the Stars and all proceeds from the evening go to the Marshall County Neighborhood Center .
Thirteen dancers thrilled nearly a 500 member audience with their performances as they competed for votes. The talent was amazing and one highlight of the night which received a standing ovation was the performance of Ike Huls and Mewsette Cartwright. Most of us in Plymouth are used to seeing Ike on his scooter, but during Dancing with the Stars, he was on the dance floor bringing claps, shouts, and even tears to many in the audience.
Prior to the performances Master of Ceremonies Francis Ellert welcomed everyone and introduced Chad Barden, President of the Marshall County Neighborhood Center Board. He stated he was speaking for Sara Hill, Executive Director who was home ill for the evening, and gave a brief overview of the history of the Neighborhood Center and some exciting things that happened during the year. Barden discussed the number of people in Marshall County that are in poverty and at the center they help local families meet their basic needs for food and clothing. Dancing with the Stars is a Great Event which serves a Great Cause.
A live auction was held with Dave Goebel from Remax Oakcrest Realty as the evening’s auctioneer. Various trips, Notre Dame packages, Lawn Care and Spring Cleaning packages, two Driven to Ride packages, The New You, Dip Into Downtown, Go Cubbies’ Sport Package, Bristol Motor Speedway, Professional Services, Wine, Dine, and Sail Package, and $100 Scholarship packages for families in need were auctioned to the highest bidder to push the final dollar figure even higher for the evening.
After a fabulous evening of fun and excitement the winners were announced.
In fifth place were Danielle & Bernie Erickson
Fourth place went to Amy & Alex Eads
Third place to Dean Colvin & Marcia Heintzberger
Second place to Ike Huls & Mewsette Cartwright
And the winner for the 8th annual event was the P-Town Posse with Kelsey Flynn, Diane Hayden, Betsy Barron, and Aimee Portteus.
At the conclusion of the evening, Chad Barden President of the Marshall County Neighborhood Center stated that he was not yet certain about the final dollar figure for the fundraiser. He did say the Live Auction brought more than three times last year’s dollar figure.
Monday morning Barden released the number. Just over $80,000 was raised on Saturday night for the Neighborhood Center. Although last year they raised over $100,000 that included the corvette they sold tickets for and raised $37,000 so in the end, the Dancing With the Stars event for 2016 was the largest fundraiser to date.
