MORE than 500 people packed The Barn on Saturday night for an evening of glitz and glamour at the 11th annual Swinging with the Stars.
Eight locals hit the dance floor to bust some fancy new moves with their dance partners and in doing so raised almost $100,000 for the Stand Like Stone Foundation.
The couples swept into the room with the cha cha and between a few quick costume changes they danced a foxtrot, a sizzling tango and a show-stopping hip hop sequence.
Judges Lynette Martin, Joe D’Agostino and 2017 winner Amanda Flint were tasked with selecting the top four couples and in a hotly contested final Laura Hawkins and dance partner Cody Smith were ultimately crowned winners.
Ms Hawkins – who hails from Frances and recently relocated to Robe – said she was overwhelmed by the support she had received from both communities.
“Never in a million years did I think I would come away with the win,” she said.
“For me, it was never about winning, it was just such a blast and to have all my family and friends there to support me was incredible.
“I cannot wait to see all the money that we have raised go back into the Naracoorte and surrounding communities.”
Malseeds real estate agent Alistair Coonan raised a whopping $15,000 – an individual fundraising effort that earned him the people’s choice award.
“I had a lot of support from so many different businesses around town,” Mr Coonan said.
“My success is largely due to my friends, family and colleagues who were all so keen to support me.
“I owe thanks to the people that came out and dug deep.”
The stars had eight weeks of intensive training at HYPE Dance Studio to learn choreography under the tutelage of Kim Cella and Paris Ackland.
This year’s event raised $98,000 for the Stand Like Stone Foundation, with all donations received held in trust to benefit Limestone Coast communities.
Since the first Swinging with the Stars in 2007, the event has raised a total of $615,000 for the foundation
“The Stand Like Stone board is delighted with the support the foundation has received at Swinging with the Stars over the last 11 years,” chair Bill DeGaris said.
“The event is the culmination of the generosity of many local individuals and businesses and it is a formidable fundraiser that returns so much to our community.”
“It is the ongoing generosity of so many supportive local individuals and organisations that ensures the success of Swinging with the Stars and I would particularly like to recognise this.”
All funds raised for Stand Like Stone are held in trust for the benefit of the region and the income earned is granted back to the community through scholarships and grants for charitable projects.
Since its establishment in 2004, Stand Like Stone has distributed over $1.3m to charitable projects, school students and educational scholarships across the Limestone Coast.
