From all accounts, the second annual ‘A Night Among Stars’ proved a smashing success.
Held at the Lacombe Memorial Centre on March 11, the gala - put on by Dancer’s Edge Association, supported Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lacombe and District.
The magical evening night showcased seven local celebrities from across central Alberta during a dance-off style event, said Mandy Walter, president of the Dancer’s Edge Parents Association (DEPA).
She said that DEPA helps with the organization of various fundraisers to help support Dancer’s Edge with a number of costs related to competitive dance.
“I am overwhelmed by the support (we received) from the community and from central Alberta,” said Walter of the sold-out event.
“It was amazing for everyone in attendance.”
Ultimately, the evening’s ‘Champion Awards’ were as follows - ‘Top Fundraiser’ was Celebrity Dancer Charmen Baron and the event’s Fan Favourite – Celebrity Dancer pair was Jeff Pollard and Miss Paighton Smith with Maddox Dance Company.
The Overall Winner duo was Celebrity Dancer Benjamin Darnell and Miss Tracey McLean with Dance Magic Studio.
“The support we also had from our title sponsor Lacombe Ford was so great, and from all of our sponsors. We had over 23 businesses donate to our silent auction as well,” she said.
Walter said the evening was sheer magic, and that the work of the hard-working volunteer team made up of folks from both the Dancer’s Edge Parents Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters - was amazing.
“It was just done so well,” she said, also praising the committed dancers who worked so hard to raise the funds that they did.
This year marked the second ‘A Night Among Stars’ event – the first one took place in March of 2020.
That inaugural event also proved a huge success, organizers say.
Meanwhile, this year’s celebrities included Darren King, Charmen Baron, Jeff Pollard, Wendy Griffin, Will Hendrickson, Ben James, and Ben Darnell.
These dancers and their professionals had been working diligently since this past November on their choreography with styles ranging from Hip Hop to Polynesian.
The evening also included a fabulous dinner and other entertainment.
Brianna Berthiaume, executive director for Big Brothers Big Sisters, agreed with Walter that this year’s event was a remarkable success.
“It was phenomenal - the whole event gave me goosebumps,” she said, adding how great it was to see the dancers perform and to also see the community there to cheer them on.
“It was a very ‘glam’ event. It was just so beautiful from the moment you walked in,” she explained. “A lot of work and effort went into it from a lot of people - especially from the Dancer’s Edge Parent Association. They had a vision and they made it happen.
“It was also a big endeavor for (the dancers) to put themselves out there in support of mentoring and of Big Brothers Big Sisters - it was just over the top!
She added that the whole event also was really community-building in the sense that it all helps lead to new connections for the Big Brothers organization.
As to what was raised, final numbers haven’t been crunched as of yet but the dancers - at last count - had raised $22,324, she said.
“They just put it all out there, and also became huge advocates for mentoring, too. We cannot say enough about the support,” she added.
“So many new relationships have also come out of this,” she said. “I have nothing but great things to say about the night!”
