A lively crowd filled the Intergenerational Recreation Center for A Decade of Dancing last Friday evening to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dancing with Vero’s Stars, a major fundraiser for the Indian River Healthy Start Coalition. As past and present dancers and instructors mingled with guests and enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, bidding was swift and steady for the impressive silent auction of donated items and services.

This year’s sold-out main event, to be held May 12 at Riverside Theatre, will again feature 10 community leaders paired with professional instructors who will perform a choreographed dance in front of an estimated audience of 650. Their judged dance scores, coupled with their fundraising totals, will determine the winner of the coveted mirror ball trophy. The ultimate winner, however, is the Healthy Start Coalition, which offers care, support and classes to all local mothers, babies and families.

Dancing with Vero’s Stars has grown from its humble 2009 beginning, when it was held at the Elks Club and dancers raised less than $50,000, to last year’s event at Riverside Theatre, where dancers raised close to $300,000.

“A multitude of pregnant women and babies have been given a healthy start thanks to these stars,” said 2015 mirror ball winner Karen Franke, event co-chair with 2017 winner Lisa Barnes Thompson.

For more information, visit irchealthystartcoalition.org or dancingwithverostars.com.

Article by: Kerry Firth