Elisabeth Champion
LOCAL personalities donned their dancing shoes for the 2022 Swinging with the Stars event, raising almost $100,000 for Stand Like Stone.
Karen Millington, Felicia Jones, Alisha Byrne, Kyra Sykes, Erin Launer, Stu Harvey, Cole Hedwards and Matthew Grubb took to the floor last Saturday night, showing off their dances moves to a crowd of more than 500 people.
In total, the event raised a whopping $96,000 for the foundation.
Taking out the coveted title was Matthew Grubb, and his dance partner Jacinta Cooper, although CEO of the Stand Like Stone Foundation Roger Babolka said the competition was fierce.
“The dancers were just fantastic,” he said.
“I remember sitting at the first meeting, we had a Sunday afternoon catchup and there were some very nervous looking faces, and some concerned ‘why am I here’ sort of faces, but over the past three months they have just really got into it.
“They were keen to get out there and strut their stuff.
“They were all really good, they did extremely well.”
Roger Babolka said the funds raised would benefit the Limestone Coast for years to come.
“I told the group that what they have done over the past three months, and the funds they’ve raised, those funds are there forever and a day now, because what we do is we invest that money, and it’s the return on those investments that we give out in terms of grants and scholarships,” he said.
“So their three months worth of commitment will turn into a lifetime or longer in terms of a benefit back to the region through their hard work over the past three months.”
