'Dancing With Our Stars' tickets on sale Monday

Thursday, January 10, 2013
The poster for this year's Fort Scott Rotary Club's "Dancing With Our Stars" illustrates the theme, which is "Celebrate America." (Courtesy Poster)

Tickets for the popular "Dancing With Our Stars" go on sale Monday at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall St.

Sponsored by the Fort Scott Rotary Club, the third annual event takes place Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the Fort Scott Community College campus. Performances are set for 3 and 7 p.m.

All seats are reserved and ticket prices are $10. VIP seating -- the first five rows of the center section -- is available for $15.

This year's theme is "Celebrate America" and the dancers will be taking the stage to songs with an American theme.

Dancers this year are Ray Streeter and Mary Jo Harper tripping the light fantastic to "Rock Around the Clock" for the Bourbon County Arts Council; Kevin Allen and Katie Umphenour, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" for The Beacon food pantry; and Blake Lundberg and Heather Fink, "If I Die Young" for Hunt for Hunger.

Also, Fort Scott Fire Chief Paul Ballou and Lisa Chaplin, Kari Messer, Kayla Pruitt, Kelly Keating and Bridgett Lancaster, "Fireman's Medley" for Ronald McDonald House; Phil Hammons and Megan Felt, "Jack and Diane" for the Lowell Milken Center; and Scott Flater and Shelley Corley dancing to "Candy Man" for the Alzheimer's Association.

Additionally, Kevin Smith and Misty Adams dancing to "R- O-C-K in the USA" for the Sharing Bucket; Enrique Martinez and Lindsey Hill, "Party in the USA" for the FSCC Endowment Athletic Scholarship Fund; Dustin Wiley and Donna Estill, "Living in America" for the Gordon Parks Museum; James Wood and Jennifer Jackman, "The Dance" for the American Gold Star Mothers; and Wade Pellett and Julie Pellett, "To the Moon" for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Audience members can vote for their favorite dancers by making a donation to their chosen charity. All the organizations will have booths at the two performances.

The dancers who get the most contributions at the end of the performance will be declared the "People's Choice Winner."

All money raised in the dancers' fish bowls will go to their charity.

The fine arts center auditorium holds about 600 people and the shows have sold out each year.

"This year's event will pay special tribute to those who have made sacrifices to keep America strong -- our veterans and our Gold Star Moms and families," said Chairperson Belynda Davenport. "Our 'Dancing With Our Stars' committee is grateful for the willingness of everyone who has helped."