The stars and pros have been paired off and are now deep in training for the 13th annual Dancing with the Easter Seals Stars, set to take over the Caruso Club on Feb. 23, 2024.**
On Nov. 15, Easter Seals hosted a meet and greet for the participants at Don’s Pizza. It was an opportunity for folks to meet each other and learn why the fundraiser is so important to the organization.
“Our Pros and Stars are now paired up and off to rehearsals. We certainly try to put the ‘fun’ in fundraising,” said MJ Pappin, community development officer for Easter Seals Ontario/Sudbury, in a news release. “Expanding our roster to 10 dance teams this year has not only allowed us to grow the event, but gets more people talking about the good works we are doing for Easter Seals kids across the province.
“The impact of everyone’s individual efforts collectively changes the lives of so many children granting them access to essential mobility equipment, services, programs, and summer camp opportunities that help children and youth with physical disabilities reach their full potential and make the most of their abilities.”
Dancing with the Easter Seals Stars pairs non-dancers with trained dancers, with the pairings competing to win it all.
The evening will be co-hosted once again by Amanda Zurkowski of Plan A Staffing and Marc Despatie of Collège Boréal. Guest judges this year are Samantha Espley of Stantec, Marc Boudreau of DROCOR, Sherri K of Hot 93.5, Pat Drolet of Nickel City Ninjas, and Sheri Tomchick, owner of Plan A Sudbury.
The 2024 couples are (pro dancers are listed first):
- Dawn Condon & Jedd Smith of Royal Lepage Realty
- Francesca Vairo & Jason Gauthier of Northern Plating
- Kaija McDonough & Max Massimiliano of Don’s Pizza
- Anne Salter-Dorland & David Ghent-Kyle of Re/Max Realty
- Pierre Muila & Anne-Marie Couture of Couture Counselling Coaching and Consulting
- Gabriel Onadja & Katie Johnson of Lougheed Funeral Home
- John Reynolds & Candice Kirkbride of Candid Moments
- Bob Leduc & Suzanne Lemieux of Collège Boréal
- Tyson Kirk & Tiffany-Lynn Whiting of Tie the Knot Nuptials
- Skylar Slywchuk & Shannon Bubalo of Oystrick Bubalo Real Estate Group
Votes will be accepted online and at the event with awards given to the top three performances. The audience can also vote for the People’s Choice Award and Top Fundraiser Award.
Last year, the event raised more than $124,000.
To learn more about our work or to make a donation, visit EasterSeals.org.
**Correction: An earlier version of this story stated the date as Feb. 24. That was incorrect and has been updated to the proper date of Feb. 23.
