Editorial
Front Page - Friday, June 4, 2010
Bar Association director dances the night away
Erica Tuggle
Lynda Hood, the executive director of the Chattanooga Bar Association, will participate in Dancing with the Stars Chattanooga. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Partnership for families, children and adults, and those who vote for Lynda before the competition will be donating to her area of choice in the partnership: the Sexual Assault Center. Hood says she is dancing for a close friend who was violently, sexually abused in college.
- Photo provided
Lynda Hood says she has watched ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” from the very beginning, and has mused over the thought of what fun it would be to be on stage as one of the dancers.
This daydream will soon be a reality for the executive director of the Chattanooga Bar Association. On June 26, she and five other local celebrity dancers will partner with professional dancers from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio to dance the night away in the Dancing with the Stars Chattanooga event. On hand will also be Maksim “Maks” Chmerkovskiy from the TV show who will show the novices of dance just how ballroom dancing is done.
This fundraising event will benefit the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults in their six core areas of elderly services, youth services, sexual assault center, family violence shelter, family counseling and deaf services.
The dancers (Lynda Hood, Kelly Brexler, Ed Harrison, Dr. Marc Cromie, Alexis Bogo and Josh McManus) will be dancing for the benefit of each of these areas. Hood will be dancing to benefit the sexual assault center, and more specifically, she says, she is dancing for a college friend of hers who was violently, sexually abused.
The sexual assault center is the only service in the community where a victim of sexual assault can receive a full forensic exam, counseling, court advocacy, file a police report and receive referrals to other needed services. The program also operates a 24-7 crisis hotline, according to the Partnership Web site.
Hood says this event is a win-win for her. Although the most important thing is raising money for the Partnership, she has also always wanted to learn ballroom dancing, she says. This gives her the opportunity to fundraise, which she enjoys doing, and learn a fun skill along the way, she says. The sexual assault center is one of the areas of most need, she says, with a shortfall of $30,000.
According to Hood, the center is a place where women can tell their story, be heard and believed, obtain the care they need and receive all their services in one location.
The Partnership organization has helped over 64,941 people in areas of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama during its 133 years of service, and is the oldest and largest social service agency in the region. Its programs are all dedicated to empowering people to build better lives. The organization was recognized in 2006 by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce as the Non-Profit Organization of the Year for demonstrating excellence in non-profit management and community impact.
Hood says she decided to be a part of this event because of the energy and uniqueness that surrounds it.
“I am honored to be a part of this evening, and I look forward to raising the much need money for the Partnership in such a fun and exciting way!” she says.
This is the third year for the fundraiser, and with the increased turnout each year it has now moved to the ample space of the Tivoli Theatre, where work on the elaborate and beautiful stage design has already began, she says. Watching the performance of the celebrity guest, Tony, from “Dancing with the Stars” last year in person was an experience that TV can’t quite provide the full effect, she says.
This year’s celebrity guest, Maks, a Ukrainian Latin ballroom dance champion, choreographer and instructor from “Dancing with the Stars,” is sure to be a similar wowing experience, she says. Hood says he is sure to draw a crowd to the event with the dancing he will do there.
“He’s just a great dancer,” she says of Maks’ dancing
ability. “Everyone who knows Dancing with the Stars knows who Maks is.”
Hood says the non-professional dancers each have to do 15 lessons with the Fred Astaire dancers. Hood says she is doubling up on her lessons, back to back each week, as she dances with Casey Haywood of Fred Astaire. She says after an hour and a half of a dancing lesson, she is tired but wants to dance and learn more.
The Fred Astaire Dance Studio has been in business in Chattanooga since 1991. The dancers there have been teaching social and competitive ballroom and Latin dancing for 19 years. Lynda says the studio is donating all the private lessons for each star’s individual routine, and each of the six dancers has their own instructor to dance with, just like ABCs’ “Dancing with the Stars.” The choreography of each routine is done by the owner Nancy Dix and her advanced certified staff, she says.
A winning pair of dancers will be announced in June along with the fan favorite which will be determined from donation votes before the event. The three ways to vote for Hood, as well as support the Partnership, are to make a donation online at www.partnershipfca.com, a
donation by check payable to Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, re: Lynda Hood, or to vote via mobile phone, dial 27138 and send the message “VOTELYNDA donationamount.”
Hood says although it would be fun to win the fan favorite designation, the votes go to help the dancer’s area of service so that there is no losing in this competition. Purchasing tickets to the event is another way to help the Partnership. Packages to meet and greet Maks, for hors d’oeuvres, a private open bar, a special after party with the dancers or any variety of these and tiered seating prices are available at the Partnership’s Web site.
“It is an awesome night for the Partnership, but is a lot of fun, too,” Lynda says. “Come out, support the partnership and just have a great time.”
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