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‘Dancing for a Cause’ raises $40,000 for local nonprofit
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Nearly 300 people gathered in Hilton Garden Inn Southpointe earlier this month to raise money for Watchful Shepherd, a national child abuse organization based in McMurray.
The nonprofit organization’s biggest annual fundraiser “Dancing for a Cause” showcases a dance competition among “local celebrities.”
Donna Nardine, executive director of Watchful Shepherd, said the event raised $40,000, all of which will go toward providing child abuse services for families across the country.
Watchful Shepherd provides communicator units and 24-7 monitoring at its national response center for child welfare agencies in the United States. Those agencies then decided which homes could use the Watchful Shepherd communicator units – a wristband-like device that a child has and can push a button to alert Watchful Shepherd and the police of a possible dangerous situation in the home.
Nardine said events like the Dancing for a Cause on Nov. 3 are what keeps Watchful Shepherd thriving.
“The only we can survive is on fundraisers and grants,” she said.
Photo courtesy of Donna Nardine
Photo courtesy of Donna Nardine
Ann Lewis-Hamer, winner of the Judge’s Choice Award, poses with some of the other performers.
Eight celebrities performed for the chance to win two awards, one from the judges and one from the attendees.
Ann Lewis-Hamer, Intake Coordinator/Community Liaison at A Child’s Place, won the Judge’s Choice Award, performing a dance to the popular 1980s song “Whip It” by Devo.
WTAE-TV reporter Beau Berman won the People’s Choice Award for his dance to one of the most popular songs of 2017, “Despacito,” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, featuring Justin Bieber.
Photo courtesy of Donna Nardine
Photo courtesy of Donna Nardine
WTAE-TV reporter Beau Berman, who won the People’s Choice Award, poses with other performers.
The six other celebrity dancers were Jason Capps, owner and chef of Bella Sera Catering; Jennifer Scott, business development specialist at ManorCare Health Services; Dina Clark, head of diversity and inclusion at Covestro; Ryan Saxe, Realtor at Keller Williams; District Judge Ronald A. Arnoni and state Sen. Camera Bartolotta.
“At the end of the day all of the money goes back to the children and families to help provide protection in their homes,” Nardine said. “Since 1993, we’ve been having that program operate and we’ve never had any occasion of child abuse happen in any home that uses the watchful shepherd, so we’re really proud of that.”
Watchful Shepherd will be hosting another fundraiser, a Holiday Home Tour, on Dec. 3. For more information on the Holiday Home Tour, visit www.watchful.org.