HAMLET — It was never about winning.
The Taste of the Sandhills Showcasing Dancing with the Stars benefiting Richmond County Hospice, sponsored by Mabry’s Drug and Home Care, had local restaurants and residents compete to give back to an organization in Hospice that has touched so many lives.
Jeff Smart, partner and owner of Mabry’s, announced at the start of the dance portion of the evening that the event had already succeeded in his challenge from the 2018 fundraiser: to bring in more dancers and raise more money. The event drew roughly $60,000 for Hospice and had 12 couples dancing, compared to six last year.
Smart also announced that next year, Mabry’s will open the event for co-sponsors to help bring in even more money for Hospice.
The theme this year was “Coney Island 1910s,” and the decor hearkened back to classic circus attractions. The towering paintings advertising for the “muscle man” and the “bearded lady,” along with the stage props and many other fixtures, were all hand-painted, according to Nic Wilkes, creativity director for Hospice.
Along the wall of the foyer was a mannequin of a palm reader and old-timey Merry Go Round figures along the hallway. Real life “circus freaks” entertained the guests, many of whom were nurses wearing costumes hand-made from tablecloths, Wilkes said.
Many of the dancers incorporated circus elements in their performances. For Creeda Marshall and Terrel Everett it was scary clowns, with Marshall resembling Harley Quinn from the Batman comics. For others like Charity Davis and Nikki Fletcher, it was a flapper-theme with tassels flying in every direction.
Early in the evening, guests tasted a broad sampling of Richmond County’s restaurants. The Tasty Award for best food overall went to The Grille, which opened this summer next to the Food Lion on U.S. 1. Taco Loco won the new International Award and Lowe’s Foods won the Sweet Treats Award for best dessert.
In the dance portion, the big winners on the night said before their performance that they couldn’t lose. Marvin Taylor, director of finance for Hospice, who said both his grandmother and grandfather were cared for by Hospice, said, “I can’t lose tonight because I get to dance with my daughter.”
He and his daughter, Hannah, danced to a series of country hits and put out some of the biggest energy of the night, winning over the panel of professional judges to take home to Judge’s Award with a perfect score of 30 in the first round and following it up strong in the second round.
“It’s an opportunity to be together and have a great memory,” Marvin said after their win. It was his first time doing anything like this, but Hannah said she danced when she was younger. Asked how they were able to be so comfortable on stage, Marvin credited the crowd’s overwhelming support — and God — with giving them a boost.
“God gives me the strength,” Marvin said.
The judges —Travis Breen, Kim Menna and Eric McCotter — agreed that after four years of judging the Dancing with the Stars in Richmond County it’s taken a step up every year.
“You can tell all the couples put a lot of work in,” Menna said.
McCotter said this year was the hardest to judge for the Judge’s Choice. The criteria was that “both partners had to perform” at a high level, and just have fun with in, Breen said. The Taylor’s hit all the boxes.
Sabrina McDonald, Rockingham’s city clerk, and Cleve Baxley, chief magistrate, won the Hospice Choice Award for raising the most money leading up to the event. The pair said they sent letters to as many people as they could think of including family, old sorority sisters, advertisements and others to garner donations.
They thanked their choreographer, Sharon Nichols, with helping them on their performance. Breen noted McDonald’s smile lit up the whole room, and Menna said, “I love a man in a sequin jacket,” referring to Baxley’s bright red ensemble.
The biggest fireworks on the night came from Catherine and Neil Robinette who danced to a mashup of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits, with Neil in character as the King of Pop. Catherine started under a small tent sitting in a trapeze ring while her husband — in a silver sequined jacked and socks — rode out on a unicycle which he said he had just learned to ride a month prior.
He spun her like a top in the ring, moon walked across the stage and Catherine mimed shooting him dead. He rose again as the beat to “Thriller” kicked in.
They said they’re both big Michael Jackson fans and always play his music in the house. The only dancing experience they had was, for Catherine, cheerleading, and for Neil, “white boy dancing” at parties. After they got their score of a perfect 30, and Menna complimented Neil on his physique, Neil’s father and Chairman of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners quipped, “He takes after his daddy.”
“We’re really glad to be able to be supportive of Hospice,” Neil said.
