A PENOLA “celebrity” is preparing to strap on her dance shoes later this year for the Stand Like Stone Swinging with the Stars fundraiser.
Immersed in the region’s wine sector, Kate Perry will represent Penola and Coonawarra for the annual event in her first foray into dancing in over a decade.
Growing up studying jazz and tap dance, Ms Perry has rhythm in her soles, but has limited experience in the type of dance she will perform at the annual event.
Hosted at The Barn on June 22, the annual fundraiser will feature a star-studded line-up from around the Limestone Coast who will battle for dance glory while raising funds for the Stand Like Stone Foundation.
Nominated by past contestant Amanda Flint, Ms Perry said she was a little nervous at first, but decided to take the leap and accept her nomination.
“I was pretty hesitant to say yes to begin with,” she said.
“But I figured it’s definitely out of my comfort zone so why not give it a try.
“I have more than 15 years experience in dance and I know the basic steps for most things, but I have never done any ballroom dancing so it will be a big change for me.”
With practice kicking off on March 31, contestants will have a little less than two months to fine tune their skills before the main event.
In between practicing, Ms Perry will host fundraisers in the lead up to the big night with a final goal of $10,000.
The first event on her calendar will be an “amazing race” style afternoon followed by a pop-up bar in the Penola town square.
Entrants in the amazing race event will have two hours to complete a series of challenges including snapping pictures at local landmarks, completing a quiz about the area and answering questions about the town’s history without the internet as help.
“We just trust the people who enter will not use their phones to answer the questions,” Ms Perry said.
“It’s a bit of fun and it gets people away from screens and outdoors exercising which is always a positive.
“Afterwards we will have a pop-up bar with drinks, live music and a silent auction.”
Ms Perry said she already felt strong support from the community with many donating their time or items for the fundraiser.
“Raidis, Balnaves, DiVine and the primary schools will cater the event with drinks and food which I am thankful for,” she said.
“I have also already got a bunch of things promised for the silent auction.
“We will have so many packages like wine, beauty products, gardening products, things for men and women, hopefully there will be something for everyone to bid on.”
In addition to her fundraising night, Ms Perry will receive $5 from every Mount Gambier Gold Cup Koonara Platinum Marquee ticket for her final tally.
“I am very lucky to work at Koonara and have their full support for the event,” she said.
“Koonara is always a big supporter of Stand Like Stone but I think having me involved is making them help out even more which is amazing.
“I think there is 350 tickets in the marquee so I will hopefully be able to raise a bit of money from that – I am so grateful for everyone’s help already.”
Moving to Penola five years ago, Ms Perry is relatively new to the Stand Like Stone Foundation, but after researching its impact, she said she was proud to support the important charity.
“Everyone has been so welcoming and I’m quite good friends with Amanda and Nicole who were the last two Penola participants,” she said.
“Through knowing them and doing some research about Stand Like Stone, I am so proud so be raising money for the cause.
“It is pretty amazing to have something so big in a small region like ours – it really helps change people’s lives.
“I almost called Stand Like Stone Foundation director Rhett McDonald a couple of weeks ago and quit after getting a bit overwhelmed with the whole idea.
“But after a call from my mum and a good think, I knew I did not want to miss out on the opportunity.”
Ms Perry’s amazing race and pop-up bar event will be held on March 30.
The amazing race will kick off from 3pm with the pop-up bar opening around 5pm.
Visit Ms Perry at Koonara for an amazing race entry form and more information about the event.
