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In less than a month, Rhodes on the Pawtuxet will host to a cadre of local celebrities ready to boogie for charity.
The annual fundraiser- Dancing with the Stars of Mentoring- will be raising …
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In less than a month, Rhodes on the Pawtuxet will host to a cadre of local celebrities ready to boogie for charity.
The annual fundraiser- Dancing with the Stars of Mentoring- will be raising money for Mentor RI, an organization that gives at-risk children and children struggling in their social lives a role model from the community to meet with and look up to. It will be held on April 5 from 5:30-9:30 p.m.
The stars of the show will be assisted by partners- dancers from The Dancing Feeling dance studio on Post Road – just like the show the event is named after.
Mentor RI Director of Communications Jenny Gruslin said the event, now in its seventeenth year, has become a fundraising force for the organization.
“It runs like a well-oiled machine,” she said. “It is an incredible production to watch. And my opinion is, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
In addition to the main event, which starts at 7:30, Mentor RI will hold a silent auction, as well as a dinner and an open dancing period for any attendees looking to show off their moves from 5:30 to 7:30.
According to Gruslin, the event will be benefiting from having a larger capacity than last year.
“Last year, we had a waiting list to get in,” Gruslin said. “But we’re fortunate this year that Rhodes on the Pawtuxet was able to lift their capacity and had repairs done, so we’re hoping to pack the place this year.”
Ten local figures, along with their dance partners, will be performing. They are:
Anny Robert-Fernandez, Bank of America’s Rhode Island Community Affairs Chairwoman, will be dancing with Daniel Koch.
The owner of Gel’s Kitchen in Warwick, Gel Penta, will be dancing with Anthony Scalzi.
BayCoast Bank’s Helena Moronta will be dancing with Brian McCrae.
Jason Williams, Greenwood Credit Union’s Assistant Vice President (AVP), will be dancing with Jayne Pawasauskas.
Joe Garcia will be dancing with Deb O’Donnell.
Katie Knight, Amica Mutual Insurance’s AVP of Service Center Operations, is paired with Daniel Koch.
Washington Trust’s Marisa Sprague will be dancing with Noah Carsten.
Mike Philibert, Senior Instrumentation Tech at Amgen, will be dancing with Jayne Pawasauskas.
Nick Mainville, Navigant Credit Union’s AVP of Digital Bank Originations, will be dancing with Rachael Mooney.
Amy Sloan, a locally-based artist, will be dancing with Derrick Powers.
Judging them will be Bruce Perrault, a realtor in the area famous for his two appearances on the TV show Survivor, Roxanne Herzog, a professional judge who has been a judge since the very first Dancing with the Stars of Mentoring and Ryan Crowley, another returning judge from last year. Both Perrault and Crowley have competed as dancers in the past, and Crowley actually went on to marry his partner, Brianna.
In addition to the judges, viewers can donate money to contestants to help them win the People’s Choice Award, given out alongside the Judge’s Choice Award. To donate, go to mentorri.org/dancing, and then click “Support a Dancer.”
A third award, the Most Entertaining Award, is jointly chosen by the judges and the crowd in attendance.
“Last year, we had a husband who was so just so proud of his wife, he was so loud,” Gruslin said. “It was so fun to watch him watch her- I think that was the highlight of my night. But [the Most Entertaining Award] is all about getting your people to be out there and be vocal.”
The 2023 Dancing with the Stars of Mentoring event raised $130,000 for Mentor RI. Gruslin said that the organization is looking for another six-figure night this year.
To buy tickets, go to mentorri.org/dancing and click “Buy Tickets.” Tickets are $125 per person, $225 per couple, and tables of 10 are available for $950, according to Gruslin.
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