PENOLA reigned supreme at this year’s Swinging with the Stars event with the community’s two entrants claiming the top honours.
Saturday’s sold-out event saw 600 people pack the Barn Palais to catch a glimpse of their favourite local “celebrities” on the big stage.
Raising almost $100,000 for the regional foundation, the event was hailed a success by all involved with it touted as one of the biggest yet.
Hailing from across the Limestone Coast, competitors included Mount Gambier’s Elle Hood and Scott Maxwell with partners Cody Smith and Alex Williams, Penola’s Kate Perry and Liz Rymill with partners James Brennan and Steven Speck, Millicent’s Rob Francis and Emma Laucirica with partners Keana Soper and Jayden Green, Padthaway’s Andrew Orton with partner Katherine Miller and Kingston’s Jeremy May with partner Jacinta Cooper.
Raising more than $15,000, Penola Coonawarra sub-fund representative Kate Perry was crowned the People’s Choice winner, being the first to bring home the title to the country community.
The honour acknowledges the entrant with the highest fundraising total and is something the sub-fund had been without since the event started, with Ms Perry “blown away” to receive the award.
“I had a goal in mind for my fundraising and I was confident I had hit my target, but I never would have dreamed that I would make more than $15,000,” she said.
“I cannot thank the Penola community enough for supporting all of my events in the lead up to the big night.
“I am so overwhelmed with how much everyone gave to support Stand Like Stone.
“It is a true testament to the power of our little community and we are so lucky to have all of that money going back to us.”
Ms Perry said the overall experience of the event was her highlight, but the ability to give back to her community in such a big way was the cherry on top.
“I had so much fun competing and it was not like a competition at all,” she said.
“None of us were there specifically to win, we just wanted to raise as much money for our communities as we could while having a really great time.
“I have made some lifelong friends from the experience and we are all chatting about when we are going to catch up again already.”
Sub-fund director Rhett McDonald said he was overjoyed with Ms Perry’s foundation fundraising achievements.
“Our dancer Kate raised a whopping $15,287 and we can announce that as a result of her efforts the Penola Coonawarra Sub fund has cracked the $100,000 mark,” he said.
“Kate rallied the support of the community and did some amazing fundraising efforts.
“For all those that supported and contributed to Kate’s cause we want to say thank you, it is a big shout out to you that we can now invest your efforts back into the community.”
In addition to Ms Perry’s fundraising effort for the community, Penola’s Liz Rymill was crowned the event’s overall winner, claiming the honours over the other seven competitors.
Although Ms Rymill was not competing specifically for Penola as Ms Perry was, she said her campaign was still thoroughly supported in the community.
“The whole experience has been overwhelmingly humbling and a joy to be a part of – it was such a thrill to see everybody bring their own personality and style to the dance floor,” Ms Rymill said.
“I feel really thrilled and proud that from where we started, it is a testament to our teachers to get us through to the performance on Saturday night and I feel really proud of what we have all achieved.
“I am a huge believer in the capacity for country communities to pull together and really build on what we have – we are a proud bunch and it was a great opportunity to be in a room full of people that all believe in this.
“To play a small part in the Stand Like Stone legacy is a real privilege.”
All donations received for Swinging with the Stars are added to the foundation’s trust funds and are held in trust to benefit Limestone Coast communities through grants and scholarships for the region.
Since its establishment in 2004, Stand Like Stone has distributed over $1.6m to charitable projects, school students and educational scholarships.
