Three Weeks to DWOS: Quiet Oaks Needs Your Donations

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- After months of preparations, the Women's Fund Presents Dancing With Our Stars finale is fast approaching.  The event is just three weeks away on Monday, June 10th at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph.

How is dancing going?
That's usually the first question I get asked when people ask me about Dancing With Our Stars.  The answer is it's going very well, but it has been much more challenging than I expected.

My partner and dance pro Lisa Lawson was responsible for choreographing our routine.  We're dancing a cha-cha to a Jason Mraz song.

We finished learning the dance a few weeks ago and now it's all about polishing up the routine and making it ready for the big night.

Lisa and I practice every Wednesday night at Studio B up in Sartell who has donated their space for us to practice.

Last Monday night all of the dancing pairs had to dance our routines in front of the judges to get their feedback and suggestions.

Forty percent of our final score is based on how well we dance the night of the show.  There is also an extra $3,000 on the line for the judge's choice award going to the dance pair that gets the highest score.

How is your fundraising coming along?
Fundraising is another big component of the competition and another big question I get asked a lot.

We're off to a good start and have had a couple of successful fundraisers with the Radiothon back in March and the Kentucky Derby Party earlier this month.

However, with just three weeks to go, we continue to raise funds and ask for donations so we can stay in first place.

The weekly dancer rankings -as of Friday, May 17th - have us in first place for money raised.  But, the weekly rankings only show the standings, we are not allowed to know how much money each dancer has raised, so I have no idea how big my lead is right now.  I am taking the approach that it is only a slim lead.

The other five community dancers are also working hard with their fundraising for their worthy causes as well, so I am guessing these rankings will change quite a bit in the final weeks.

Sixty percent of the final score is how much money you raise.  The overall first-place finisher gets an extra $15,000 for their charity, second place gets an extra $10,000, and so on, so going for a top finish means a lot of extra cash.

Another option for donating is through The Value Connection.  There is a donation link on the home page, so when you save money using the VC, if you choose, you can donate a portion of your savings to the Quiet Oaks campaign.

How did you choose Quiet Oaks Hospice House?
I got to choose the charity that I wanted to raise money for and I wanted it to be something that I cared about.  With both of my parents using hospice care at the end of their lives I have seen firsthand the important work that they do.

I know that if my mom were alive today she would love following me in the dance competition and would be rooting me on.  She was always one of my biggest fans.

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How did you get selected to be in DWOS?
I was asked if I would be interested in being one of this year's community dancers back in October.  The Women's Fund tries to find a good cross-section of dancers in the community each year.  This is the 8th season of the competition, and each year they need to find six people willing to put themselves out there in a big way to not only learn a very difficult dance routine but also raise a lot of money.

When I was first asked about considering the opportunity, before I said yes I asked a few of the dancers from previous years what their thoughts were.  They all agreed it was a wonderful opportunity and that I should do it.  They were right, this has been a wonderful experience.

What happens the night of the event?
We've been told our day will be filled, with one final run-through on the stage that afternoon, before we head to hair and makeup to get us stage-ready for the show.

The social hour begins at 5:00 p.m. and lasts until 6:45 p.m. with lots of appetizers and a cash bar on the lawn outside of Escher Auditorium. Each dancer has a two-person Pit Crew that will solicit attendees for one last donation for their charity, so fundraising doesn't stop until the show begins.

The show begins at 7:00 p.m. with each of the dancing pairs performing the routines we've worked months on to perfect.

While the Women's Fund tallies up the final numbers, there are a series of other singing and dancing performances.  Then, the evening wraps up by crowning this year's winner and awarding the final checks.

I have not attended the event in the past, but I have been told that it is a fun evening with usually several hundred people in attendance.

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