By Christine Price
Columnist
Amidst all the stress, anxiety, craziness and bad news, my goal is to spotlight and share the good news in our community.
The first event held in the newly remodeled LaMalfa Banquet Center in Mentor was certainly a memorable one.
And what better way to christen the new space than with dancing, dazzling costumes and a little friendly competition?
Dancing Under the Stars returned July 31, bringing hundreds of people together for an evening of entertainment, fun and fundraising.
Presented by Lifeline Inc. and the Sexual and Reproductive Health Division of Signature Health, Dancing Under the Stars has become one of Lake County’s most anticipated summer fundraisers.
The two nonprofits joined forces to launch the event in 2009, and 17 years later it is still going strong.
“This year’s Dancing Under the Stars was magical in every way,” said Carrie Dotson, executive director of Lifeline Inc. “As a nonprofit director, it’s the kind of night you dream about, hundreds of people coming together, caring about your mission and raising money to support it.”
Inspired by the popular television show “Dancing With the Stars,” the event pairs local civic, corporate and community personalities with professional dance instructors for a spirited dance competition – all while raising money to support vital local services.
This year’s celebrity dancers were Natalie Blake; sisters Jen Edgell and Aubrey Southworth; Pam Morse; Juliana Petti and Debbie Billings; Shane Richards; Melanie Scanlon; Josephine Smyser; Jennifer Vieland; and Todd Wagner.
And as you might expect there were plenty of impressive performances.
The dancers competed for the 2026 Judges’ Choice Award, which was decided by a panel of judges including Dawn Kendrick, Calin Panainte, Susan Seacrist and John Skiles.
Jen Edgell and Aubrey Southworth took home the People’s Choice Award after raising more than $10,000.
The sisters performed a jazz fusion routine to a medley of Michael and Janet Jackson songs, joined on the dance floor by professional dancer Bella Golen and four additional youth dancers.
The Judges’ Choice Award went to Josephine Smyser and professional dancer John Thompson, who performed a jazz swing routine to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”
The judges base their decision on showmanship, costuming, technique, confidence and entertainment.
Then there was the Star of the Night Award, determined by the crowd’s reaction.
That honor went to Shane Richards and professional dancer Brittany Resar. Dressed in “Top Gun” attire, the pair performed a combination Paso Doble and Jive routine to Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone.”
Serving as this year’s event chair was Lori Richards, the 2024 Judges’ Choice Award winner.
Returning as emcee was Ryan Gilkerson, winner of the 2019 People’s Choice Award and the record-holder for the most money ever raised by a celebrity dancer: over $18,000.
Sponsors for the event were Lake County ADAMHS Board, Lighthouse Advisers and Northern Haserot. The photographs were courtesy of Ryan Durdella Photography.
Mary Wynne-Peaspanen, Signature Health’s Sexual & Reproductive Health director, has been involved with the event since its inception.
“When we first hosted this event in 2009, we had no idea that it would become one of northeast Ohio’s favorite summer events, nor that it would still be going strong 17 years later,” she said. “The generosity of our community knows no bounds.”
She added that she is already looking forward to planning next year’s event.
That kind of enthusiasm may be one of the secrets to the event’s success.
It takes a lot of people working behind the scenes all summer to put together an evening like this, from the dancers and professional instructors to the judges, sponsors, volunteers and everyone who buys a ticket or donates.
As Carrie put it, “So many people work so hard all summer to make the event a success, and that’s so inspiring.”
And I think that’s what makes Dancing Under the Stars more than just a night of dancing.
It’s a celebration of what can happen when a community comes together for a good cause.
There may be winners, trophies and bragging rights but, in the end, the real winner is the community.
And judging by the smiles, applause and enthusiastic crowd at this year’s event, I’d say Lake County is already ready to dance its way into 2027.
When you see good news, and you will, please send it to cpriceconcord@aol.com. Include your name, phone number, city of residence and email address.
