Charity dance off raises €19,500

A FIGURE of €19,500 was raised at the Strictly Come Dancing event held in the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point last Saturday night. Such was the interest in the fundraiser, which was held to raise money for Doonbeg charity, Help the Cherven Orphans, long queues formed outside the hotel more than an hour before the 8pm start. In fact, hundreds of people had to return home as they were unable to gain access due to the huge attendance.
Edel Smith from Doonbeg runs the charity and is aiming to build a halfway house for teenagers and young adults in Cherven, Belarus with the proceeds. The charity has been working with orphans in Cherven for 10 years.
Eleven couples danced twice apiece, while all 22 dancers took part in a group dance at the start and end of the event. Eoin Conway and Eva Keane gave a demonstration of brush dancing during the interval.
All dancers displayed an imagination and athleticism that left the audience gasping, as did the various costumes worn by the participants, which indicated none of them were short on confidence.
Edel told The Clare Champion the event would not have been possible without the input of choreographer Christina Cawte and the dancers.
“Christina and the dancers are the ones that really made it. I will forever be indebted to their commitment and effort over the last two months,” she said.
“Every one of them felt they made friends out of this and it’s an experience they are going to remember for the rest of their lives,” Edel added.
The figure raised was as a result of the admission fee and people paying a small sum to vote for their favoured couple during the dance off.
Michael Liddane and Marianne Hackney, who represented Cross village, were voted the winners by the audience.
“Everybody thinks it’s a great cause. They know exactly where this money is going and who it’s going to be helping,” Edel stated with reference to the group’s charity work in Belarus.
She said she would have loved if some of the benefactors of the pending construction of the halfway house in Cherven, had been able to attend the fundraiser, which had retiring Garda Charlie Killeen as master of ceremonies and Rita McInerney conducting post-dance interviews with the contestants.
“Everyone that was there made the night because it was such an electric atmosphere,” Edel noted.
DVDs of the night will be available soon and for further details, contact Edel on 087 8181263.