Dancing With the Starz raises $500K for charities

The 2007 Dancing with the Starz' grand finale held Saturday, Aug. 11 at the Marco Island Marriott Resort was a landmark commemoration to making dreams come true. The annual charitable contest raised three times the amount it did last year with a grand total of $500,000 going to eight charities. Read full story »

Profiles of the Dancers

Santo Gentile - Santo Gentile is one of the Starz dancers this year - but he's not quite sure why. "I think my mom nominated me. She and Judy Perez kind of threw me into it. They just called me up one day and said, ‘You're going to be dancing with the stars.' " He's pleased to be dancing to raise money for his charities of choice - San Marco Catholic Church and for the local Society of St. Vincent De Paul.

 

Howard Jordan - When Howard Jordan gets frustrated as he learns how to dance for the Dancing With the Starz gala, he regains his resolve by recalling a special moment involving his 7-year-old son Howie. "Asked by a reporter recently, ‘What does success mean to you?' "Howie answered, ‘My mom and dad had a party to raise money for children.' Jordan will be dancing to raise money for Upon-A-Star.

 

Betty Newman - Betty Newman has painted just about every surface imaginable in her decades-long love affair with art - including her own body. "Hey it was the '70s after all, the flower power years," Betty explains with a grin. She teaches workshops at the Art League of Marco Island, which is the charity Betty is dancing for in the Starz event.

 

Maria Elena Pujol - When Maria Elena Pujol takes the stage she probably won't be thinking about an event in Castro's Cuba when she was six years old. Maria Elena will be concentrating on her performance but the genesis of why she's up there, throwing her heart, soul and talent into this fundraiser was what happened on a day in Havana filled with both horror and promise. Pujol will be dancing to raise money for Youth Haven.

 

Darlene Schulze - Darlene Schulze will be dancing the waltz in her part of the Dancing With the Starz gala and it seems to fit her perfectly. As she puts it, the waltz she plans to dance will be "classy, elegant but with a few punches in it." She's not an experienced dancer, but she has enthusiasm for it. Darlene will be raising money for the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

 

Tara Trevethan - What must it be like to drive along and see your name on a big sign over a prominent restaurant on Marco Island? But what if the restaurateur is only 27 years old and knows she's responsible for the business's success? "Seeing the sign was cool at first, but the novelty has worn off now," said Tara Trevethan, owner of Tara Steak & Lobster House. Tara will be dancing for the Hospice of Marco and Naples.

 

Craig Woodward (Winner) - It's no surprise that Starz dancer Craig Woodward supports the Marco Island Historical Society. Craig and his family have been part of the historical fabric of Marco since Craig was a boy. He's active with the Historical Society and runs a history program for Leadership Marco. Craig is concentrating on raising money for the historical society and on his footwork for the August 11 Dancing With the Starz gala.

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