Dancing with the Wrentham Stars Returns

After a year’s hiatus, Dancing with the Stars returns to Wrentham on March 23 for a 5th year. The town’s premiere fundraising event will be held at Lake Pearl Luciano’s from 7 p.m. to midnight, and tickets will go on sale in early February.
The night features six local people paired with professional dancers in a friendly competition vying for two prizes: People’s Choice Award and Judges’ Choice Award.
The event raises funds for local charities while simultaneously raising awareness of their impact on Wrentham. Since 2013, Dancing with the Wrentham Stars has raised $340,000, money that has gone right back into the community.
Created by Wrentham Community Events (WCE), the night helps strengthen community spirit, said Tricia Kelley, WCE vice-president and co-founder. The stars attend weekly lessons with their professional dancers, all while fundraising for their charities. Each dollar raised by the stars equals one vote. The star with the most votes by the night of the event wins People’s Choice Award, while the star with the highest marks from the judges wins Judges’ Choice Award.
The “stars,” emphasized Kelley, are all amateurs, and not necessarily well-known in town.
“I think this year we did a really good job of getting a cross-section of the community,” said Kelley. “And it’s great because a lot of people have said ‘I don’t know these people.’ That’s part of our mission statement, to bring the community together and strengthen that bond across the entire community.”
This year’s stars are Jenn Moon, dancing for WEST; Mark Kitsis, dancing for LIVESTRONG/Hockomock YMCA; Sara Marks, dancing for 4Paws Animal Shelter; Mike Constantine, dancing for KP Sports Boosters; Jennifer Millet, dancing for the Holly Club; and Mark “Tito” Convertito, dancing for the Friends of Wrentham.
“These people are very, very passionate about their organizations,” explained Kelley. “We tried to do great connections so that the dancer is onboard and passionate about their charities.”
Kelley believes the event will sell out early this year.
“The stars are fabulous, the organizations are fabulous. It’s so rewarding for us and we’re starting to feel the buzz. So much hard work goes into this, and people are really excited.”
For more information about Dancing with the Wrentham Stars and to purchase tickets, visit Wrentham Community Events at www.wce02093.org. The ticket price is $55 and includes appetizers, desserts, and coffee. A cash bar will also be available. The night includes a DJ and dancing after the competition.
The WCE website also contains a short video with a fun introduction to the stars; be sure to check it out.