Dancing to help those in the community

Rick and Julie DeVries pose with their trophy after winning the Star Fundraiser award during the Dancing with the Stars event

By: Andrew May

Over 1000 people attended the Dancing with the Stars event at Forest City High School. The event was sponsored by the Forest City Rotary on January 24. Eight couples from the community competed to raise money for community projects.

Nancy Olson, the event coordinator, stated last year the Rotary sold around 600 tickets and raise around $16,000. This year Dancing with the Stars sold double the amount of tickets from last year. “We also made some changes to help with the lighting, the sound, and the set design compared to last year,” Olson said.” The Rotary raised over $26,000. The funds will be used to help fund the Stop Hunger event, the food bank, provide winter clothes for needy children, help with the Polio crisis, and other Rotary projects around Forest City.

The eight couples competing were Andy and Amy Klein, Mason and Kelli Harms, Rick and Julie DeVries, Brian and Kristi Hovenga, Nathan Theel and Maddie Walter, Tanner Thompson and Amanda Wilson, Scott Meinders and Ashley Swanson, and Samm and David Chapin.

“It was a lot of fun,” Thompson said. “It was fun to have the crowd get into it.” When the Kleins were asked if they expected to win, they answered, “There was a lot of tough competition. There were some good dances out there.” Amy and Andy Klein won the Mirror Ball Award. “We were very surprised,” Klein said. “We thought there were some dancers that dance better than us.” Nathan Theel and Maddie Walter won the Audience Choice Award, and Rick and Julie DeVries won the Star Fundraiser Award.

“I hope to do this next year,” Nancy Olson said. “Some of us [in the Rotary] have already come up with ideas for next year.”