And This Year's Dancers Are....

The competition for the 2017 Dancing with the Norwood Stars will be held on Friday, April, 7, 8 p.m., at the Tiffany Ballroom, Four Points by Sheraton Norwood. The official contest may be five weeks away, but make no mistake, the dancers are already working hard with hours of professional dance lessons from the Savaria Dance Studio and three months of fundraising events! This year's competitors taking to the dance floor are: Christine Kiklis, Bobby Smith, Lisa Vitale, Nanci Kelleher, Jason Coras and Tim Reen.
The dancers' contribution to the competition is twofold. In addition to committing to weeks of dance lessons, they have also hosted individual fundraisers the past few months to raise money for the Circle of Hope Foundation. Each dollar raised earns them a vote which will be added to their dance scores. On performance night, two winners will be crowned: an Overall Winner for the person who raises the most money and the Judges Choice for the best single dance.
"The dancers raise money from people to donate, usually fundraisers, for example, dancing, raffles, auctions or a pancake breakfast," Norwood Circle of Hope member Kathy St. Cyr said. "It's up to their imagination."
Probably one of the hardest tickets to obtain in town, this year's event at the Sheraton is sold out, but Norwood neighbors can still take part in the exciting and entertaining action. This event truly brings the community together as friends and family get together to watch the performances and cast votes for their favorite competitor at local satellite locations at Lewis', on Central Ave., the O.C.C., on Nahatan St., and the Colonial House Cafe, on Savin Ave. For those who prefer to take in the show from the comfort of their living room it is also aired on NPA-TV, Norwood's own local broadcasting network.
The Norwood Circle of Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization established to support Norwood residents who need financial assistance during a catastrophic medical occurrence. The foundation was established in 1998 in memory of Michelle Kennedy, a young Norwood resident who received an incredible amount of support from entire Norwood community while she battled leukemia. In that spirit of contribution, the Circle of Hope pays that generosity forward through fundraisers. Last year alone, the foundation gave more than $90,000 to Norwood residents in need.
Last year's contestants were Angela Malvone, Jay White, Nora-Jo Lydon, Joe DeVingo, Michael Kelley and Anna Fogg. White, from Central Auto Group, was crowned the 2016 Dancing with the Norwood Stars winner as the top fundraiser and Fogg was awarded the Judge's Choice for the highest score in the evening with 3.85 out of 40 points for her Salsa performance. In total, last year's event raised an impressive $100,000 for the Circle of Hope Foundation.