The Fort Scott Rotary Club is hosting the Seventh Annual Dancing With Our Stars event this Saturday, February 11, with participating dancers using the opportunity not just to compete, but to raise funds for local and national charity organizations as well as the Rotary.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Ellis Family Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College. Tickets are still available at $10 apiece, or $15 for VIP seats located front and center.

The theme for this year’s event is Battle for the Fort, with dance teams representing area businesses including La Hacienda, Citizen’s Bank, FSCC, Fort Scott Manor, Friends of the Fort, Landmark Bank, McDonald’s, FirstSource, Medicalodges Fort Scott and Cobalt Medplans. Each team includes two to eight employees of those businesses.

Each team also represents a charitable organization. Teams raised money for those charities in advance and further funds are raised the night of the event as attendees vote for their favorite dancers with their dollars.

The McDonald’s team for example is raising money for Ronald McDonald’s Children’s Charity by hosting a fundraiser Tuesday, February 7, 5-7 p.m. Fort Scott Medicalodges is holding a Chicken & Noodles fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association Friday, February 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at their location, with meals costing $5 each.

Other charities include Court Appointed Special Advocate, Lee’s Paws & Claws Animal Shelter, Care Portal, the Sharing Bucket, the Beacon, Friends of the Fort, Elks Club Youth Activities and United Way.

The winning team will take home a trophy and a cash prize for their charity of choice.

“We are so glad to have all of these businesses represented in this ‘Battle for the Fort’ theme this year,” said 2017 DWOS chair Janet Braun in a press release on the event. “There are 53 dancers total who are helping raise money for Rotary and for area charities.”

Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.