By ADAM ZANGARI
In less than a month, Rhodes on the Pawtuxet will host a bevy of local celebrities ready to dance for charity.
The annual Dancing with the Stars of Mentoring fundraiser raises money for Mentor RI, an organization that provides at-risk children and those struggling in their social lives with a community role model to meet and interact with that they can look up to. It will take place on April 5th from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m
The stars of the show are supported by partners – dancers from The Dancing Feeling dance studio on Post Road – just like the show the event is named after.
Mentor RI Communications Director Jenny Gruslin said the event, now in its 17th year, has become a fundraiser for the organization.
“It runs like a well-oiled machine,” she said. “It’s an incredible production to watch. And my opinion is: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
In addition to the main event, which begins at 7:30 p.m., Mentor RI will host a silent auction from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., as well as a dinner and open dance period for any participants who would like to show off their dance moves.
Gruslin said the event will benefit from a larger capacity than last year.
“Last year we had a waiting list to get in,” Gruslin said. “But we are fortunate this year that Rhodes on the Pawtuxet was able to increase its capacity and make repairs, so we hope to have the space full this year.”
Ten local personalities will perform together with their dance partners. They are:
Anny Robert-Fernandez, Chair of Rhode Island Community Affairs at Bank of America, will dance 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 dance with Brian McCrae.
Jason Williams, Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Greenwood Credit Union, will dance with Jayne Pawasauskas.
Joe Garcia will dance with Deb O'Donnell.
Katie Knight, AVP of Service Center Operations at Amica Mutual Insurance, works with Daniel Koch.
Marisa Sprague of the Washington Trust will dance with Noah Carsten.
Mike Philibert, Senior Instrumentation Tech at Amgen, will dance with Jayne Pawasauskas.
Nick Mainville, AVP of Digital Bank Originations at Navigant Credit Union, will dance with Rachael Mooney.
Amy Sloan, a local artist, will dance with Derrick Powers.
The judges will be Bruce Perrault, a local real estate agent known 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.” is, and Ryan Crowley, another returning judge from last year. Both Perrault and Crowley have competed as dancers in the past, and Crowley actually married his partner Brianna.
In addition to the judges, viewers can donate money to contestants to help them win the People's Choice Award, which is presented along with 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 awarded jointly by the jury and the audience in attendance.
“Last year we had a man who was so proud of his wife, he was so loud,” Gruslin said. “It was so much fun watching him watch her – I think it was the highlight of my evening. But [the Most Entertaining Award] it’s about getting your people to get out there and make their voices heard.”
The 2023 Dancing with the Stars of Mentoring event raised $130,000 for Mentor RI. Gruslin said the organization is expecting another six-figure donation for the night this year.
To purchase tickets, go to mentorri.org/dancing and click “Buy Tickets.” Gruslin said tickets are $125 per person, $225 per couple and tables of 10 are available for $950.
Comments are closed.