River City’s Stars Raise Over $95K For The Jacksonville Children’s Chorus
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - MAR 23, 2021 -- This past weekend, the Jacksonville Children's Chorus (JCC) had the pleasure of hosting River City Dancing With The Stars (River City DWTS). The event was hosted both in-person and live streamed for virtual audiences.
River City DWTS featured local stars partnered with professional ballroom dancers as they competed to be River City’s favorite dancer while also raising money for the JCC. All the dances kept the audience dancing in their seats while also impressing the star panel of judges. The River City DWTS event was emceed by lawyer comedian Mike Freed and comedian Jenn Weeks. The judges of the night included ballroom dance professional Lorraine Woods-Gay, past event participant Kevin Holzendorf, and 2019 Winner Crystal Freed.
The stars' performances are scored in the following format - three judges each give their score using paddles with the scores one to ten (ten being the highest score). The winner was determined by 50% performance score and 50% audience votes in the form of dollar donations.
After a night full of dancing and singing showcases, the winners were finally determined. Third place was awarded to John Thompson, Financial Advisor at Wells Fargo, for his fun swing dance. Second place was awarded to Susana Cruz, Broker, AON, for her upbeat salsa dance. The overall winner of River City DWTS was awarded to Allison “AllieMcDeal” Hollander, bestbet Poker Show Host, for her dramatic Tango.
In a recorded interview, winner AllieMcDeal explained that the most important thing about participating in this event was “doing her best to raise money within the community to support the children and the Jacksonville Children’s Chorus.”
Other star participants of River City DWTS included Monica Hernandez, Assistant Vice President, Deutsche Bank, who danced a mixed-style Latin dance, and Diana Monell Fanning, Financial and Portfolio Advisor, UBS, who danced an East Coast Swing. The night also featured showcase performances by 2019 Runner-Up and JCC Ambassador Giselle Carson, JCC President & Artistic Director Darren Dailey, and professional ballroom dancers Roseanna George and William Brand.
At the end of the night, all of the contestants collectively raised a total of $95,813.71. All proceeds from River City Dancing With The Stars will benefit The Jacksonville Children's Chorus' ongoing programming and scholarship funds! To learn more about the Jacksonville Children's Chorus visit jaxchildrenschorus.org.