MOUNT VERNON – Tickets are available to join Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois for the sixth annual Dancing With Our Stars fund-raiser.
The event will be held at Krieger’s Convention Center at the Holiday Inn in Mount Vernon Saturday, Aug. 23. This is the sixth year GSSI has hosted this fund-raiser to support its mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.
“We are thrilled to present our sixth annual Dancing With Our Stars fundraiser,” said Emily Kimmey, GSSI Director of Development. “We are now taking reservations for this fun event. You can purchase individual tickets or get a group of friends together and buy a table for 10 guests. It’s sure to be a great time.”
A major factor in the event’s success is the dance routines that enter the competition. Routines typically consist of community members who are willing to put together a dance group and entertain the audience for a great cause. Kimmey said there are still a few spots available for dance routines, and anyone interested in dancing should contact GSSI at (618) 242-5079.
The agenda for the event consists of a cocktail hour and silent auction beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the Celebrity Star Dance competition at 7:30 p.m. After the stars take to the floor, guests can dance until midnight thanks to DJ Fred Klapetzky.
Tickets for the event are $45, which includes dinner and an evening of dancing. Table sponsorships are available for $500 and include a table for 10 attendees.
Hosts for this year’s event are Brandon Bullard with Rare Chop House and Lynn Hutchison with United Way of South Central Illinois. Celebrity judges for the evening are Mike Beard of The Insurance Store, a division of Dimond Brothers Insurance; Joe Gliosci of Peoples National Bank; Finny Mathew of Crossroads Community Hospital and Mary Beth Mezo of Mount Vernon Township High School.
Teams will be competing to win DWOS’ renowned mirror ball trophy by earning the top spot in a two-part scoring system. The judges’ scores provide the first element to the dancers’ scores. The second element adds a dash of audience participation and even more excitement, as dancers can accrue points with each donation from their supporters. At the end of the DWOS competition, the mirror ball trophy goes home with the team with the highest overall score.
Current DWOS event sponsors include Community First Bank of the Heartland, Old National Bank, Crossroads Community Hospital, National Railway Equipment Company and Crossroads Physician Corporation. Lighting, music and videography for the dances will be provided by Fred Klapetzky.
All proceeds will be used to provide financial assistance to at-risk girls, to maintain and improve Girl Scouts camps and to develop Girl Scout leadership programs for nearly 14,000 girls throughout Southern Illinois.
For information about participating in Dancing With Our Stars as a dance team or sponsor, contact Emily Kimmey at (618) 242-5079 or by email at dancing@gsofsi.org.
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois serves about 14,000 girls and nearly 5,000 adult volunteers in more than 40 counties in southern Illinois. For information, visit www.gsofsi.org or “Like” them on Facebook.