TIFTON, Ga. – After 15 weeks of rehearsal, 10 local South Georgia business and community leaders will showcase their best moves on the dance floor, with their dance professional partners, for one exciting evening to help end Alzheimer’s.
The fifth annual event, Dancing Stars of South Georgia, will take place on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at the UGA Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia, and all the money raised will stay in the state to help Georgians with Alzheimer’s disease as well as their families and caregivers.
Mirroring the popular TV show Dancing with the Stars, the 10 dancing pairs work to raise money by gaining votes in the one-night gala dance competition. This year’s Dancing Stars of South Georgia local celebrity dancers include Lindy Bengston, Dr. Bill Buntin, Neil Clements, Melody Cowart, Wes Ehlers, Blonese Johnson, Griffin Martin, Terri Martin, Jennifer Spring and Eric Wisham.
Event hosts include Karla Heath-Sands, news anchor at WALB-TV, and Tyron Spearman, editor of the Peanut Farm Market News. Confirmed judges are Carolyn Ellis, local dance studio owner, and Michael Purvis, past star dancer and CEO of Cook Medical Center.
Sponsors for the event include Cory and Mia Tenneson, owners of Tenneson Nissan, Tift Regional Health Systems, WALB-TV, Cumulus Radio and The Tifton Gazette.
With the recent release of the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2017 Facts and Figures Report, it is estimated there are 140,000 Georgians living with Alzheimer’s disease, with 519,000 family caregivers often making significant financial sacrifices to care for their loved ones. With seven offices statewide, the Georgia Chapter provides vital education, support and services in all of Georgia’s 159 counties, at no cost.
“We are so excited to be hosting our sixth annual Dancing Stars of South Georgia event,” said Eunice Mixon, chair of the 2017 Dancing Stars of South Georgia. “We are incredibly grateful to the South Georgia community for their ongoing support. Alzheimer’s disease is going to affect more and more people in our state. We need funds to help those people and to hopefully one day find a cure.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a growing epidemic and the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death. As baby boomers age, the number of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease will rapidly escalate, increasing well beyond today’s more than 5 million Americans to as many as 16 million by 2050.
Supporters can vote for their favorite star and purchase tickets to the event by visiting www.
