17 Couples Chosen for 2012 Dancing with the Randolph Stars
ASHEBORO (January 31, 2012)
TOP: Bill Hoover, one half of the winning couple from the 2010 Dancing with the Randolph Stars event, talked to the newest dancers about his experience. This year’s Dancing with the Randolph Stars will be held Saturday, June 2, at AVS Catering & Banquet Centre.
SECOND FROM TOP: Reacting to being paired as dancing partners for the Randolph Community College Foundation’s 2012 Dancing with the Randolph Stars are Cindy Schroder (left) and Patrick O’Hara. The lineup was announced at a Meet the Stars 2012 reception at The Exchange on Jan. 29.
THIRD FROM TOP: Radio personality Larry Reid (center at microphone), the master of ceremonies for this year’s Dancing with the Randolph Stars, made the announcements of the 2012 couples. Dancers pictured (left to right) are Jeff Crisco and Lucy Grady; LoriAnn Owen and James Gouty; Dean Lail and Kathy Homiller; Patrick O’Hara and Cindy Schroder; and Marlo Francis.
BOTTOM: Roma Cheek (left) and Rick Crawford celebrate their dancer pairing at the Meet the Stars event on Jan. 29. Looking on are dancers Greg Spainhour and Julia Wittenberg. The couples will compete for monetary votes before and during the Dancing with the Randolph Stars event planned for Saturday, June 2. The couple with the most votes at the end of the evening will be awarded the Dancing with the Randolph Stars trophy.
The dancer pairings for the Randolph Community College Foundation’s 2012 Dancing with the Randolph Stars benefit were announced at a “Meet the Stars” event held at The Exchange Banquet and Meeting Hall on January 29. Seventeen couples have been chosen for this year’s show, most newcomers to the event. Just seven dancers have experience from previous years—LoriAnn Owen, who danced in the 2010 inaugural event; Tyler Wilhoit and Aaryn Slafky, the only couple returning from last year; Greg Spainhour and Diane Winnemuller, who both danced last year with other partners; and Rick Crawford and Derrick Sides, who were “zombies” in a Michael Jackson “Thriller” number performed by David Smith and Betsy Browne last year.
Ann Hoover and Vickie Gallimore, co-chairs of the Dancing with the Randolph Stars Planning Committee, welcomed the crowd and introduced Cindy Schroder and Gail McDowell, dancer subcommittee co-chairs, who outlined the duties of the dancers for the event.
Bill Hoover, who won Dancing with the Randolph Stars in 2010 with Laura Wilson, and April Thornton, who won the event last year with David Jones, talked to the group about their experiences as dancers and how they were successful in raising money. The purpose of the event is to raise money for student scholarships at Randolph Community College.
The dancer pairings were announced by WKXR radio personality Larry Reid, who will serve as master of ceremonies for the 2012 event. The drum roll for the announcements was played by Asheboro High School student Hamp Park. Two of the dancers are RCC employees, a change of pace from an RCC student couple who have been included the last two years. The rest are community and business leaders from around the county.
The dancing couples include RCC employees Joey Trogdon of Asheboro and Shelley Greene of Robbins; Tyler Wilhoit and Aaryn Slafky of Asheboro; Patrick O’Hara and Cindy Schroder of Asheboro; Rick Crawford and Roma Cheek of Asheboro; Jeff Crisco and Lucy Grady of Asheboro; Dean Lail and Kathy Homiller of Asheboro; Greg Spainhour and Julia Wittenberg of Asheboro; James Gouty of Asheboro and LoriAnn Owen of Seagrove; Felix McNeill of Asheboro and Teresa Shackleford of Randleman; Derrick Sides of Asheboro and Ginger Tysinger of Thomasville; Art Martinez and Marlo Francis of Asheboro; Barry Morris and Mandy Sloan of Asheboro; Henry Vruwink and Nicki McKenzie of Asheboro; Rickey Wilson and Alice Cook of Asheboro; Rick Trudgeon and Diane Winnemuller of Asheboro; Curt Lorimer and Martha Ogburn of Asheboro; and Don Presnell and Maggie Stephens of Asheboro.
Instructors from local studios will be providing lessons for the couples, including Candy Brooks and her team from Candy Brooks Dance Studio, Laura Thornburg and her team from Studio J Dance Center, and Kelly Freeman and her team from Pointe South Dance and Tumble.
Lane Ragsdale will be directing the show again this year. Judges will be J.B. Griffith III, Laura Wilson, and David Smith, all former dancers.
The couples will compete for monetary votes before and during the event planned for Saturday, June 2, at the AVS Catering & Banquet Centre. A website for voting online is expected to be posted in mid-February. The couple with the most votes at the end of the evening will be awarded the Dancing with the Randolph Stars trophy.
The 2011 fundraiser brought in cash and pledges totaling over $97,000, according to Joyce Wolford, executive director of the RCC Foundation. After paying expenses for the event, the Foundation netted over $66,000, which went directly to student scholarships. For more information, contact Joyce Wolford in the Foundation office at 336-633-0295 or jbwolford@randolph.edu.
