The Seventh Annual Dancing With Our Stars, “Battle for the Fort” event raised more than $11,000 Saturday evening, as employees from 10 local businesses danced to a variety of music styles in order to raise funds for area charities.
A total of 53 dancers from First Source, Cobalt MedPlans, Friends of the Fort, Citizen’s Bank, Fort Scott Community College, McDonald’s, Medicalodges, LaHacienda, Landmark Bank and Fort Scott Manor danced to tunes ranging from styles from the 1800s to contemporary songs, with dancers dressed to fit the time periods and the styles.
Five awards were presented, with Citizen’s Bank receiving the Most Entertaining, First Source the Best Technical Performance, FSCC the Judges’ Choice, Fort Scott Manor the Charity Spirit of Giving for raising the most funds, and First Source the Battle for the Fort Overall Winner.
This year, the charities represented included the Elks Youth Activities, Care to Share, Friends of the Fort, The Beacon, CASA, Ronald McDonald House, the Alzheimer’s Association, United Way, Care Portal and Lee’s Paws and Claws Animal Shelter.
“This evening is truly a group effort,” rotary member and event organizer Jill Warford said, expressing appreciation to the dancers, attendees and others involved in organizing the event.
In recent years, the event has raised a total of about $85,000. The funds from the ticket prices goes to the Fort Scott Rotary, which has used that funding for a variety of causes around the county, such as providing benches, picnic tables and trash cans at area parks and other venues, as well as for scholarships.
This year’s emcees were Jessica Schenkel and Gregg Motley, while the judges included dance and music instructors Marla Ward, Charlotte Swaim and Judy Schneider.
