Movers & Shakers Gala Announces 2010 Celebrity Lineup

Movers & Shakers Gala logo

The style and elegance, the glitz and glamour - the Movers & Shakers Gala is back for 2010.

A group of Sheboygan County "celebrities" will show off their best dance moves to raise money for local charities and nonprofit organizations as part of the Movers & Shakers Gala, a benefit for Lakeland College and The Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra.

Guests are invited to watch this year's dancers gather on Saturday, May 22, at Lakeland for a star-studded night that will see the college's Todd Wehr Center once again transformed into a beautiful ballroom, including wall-to-wall carpeting, a massive lighting setup and huge video screens to provide the who's who of Sheboygan County a lush stage to showcase their best moves.

In its first two years, this event has become a hot ticket and has raised over $650,000 to benefit Lakeland College, The SSO, Lakeland's Malawi Teacher Education Program and nine non-profit organizations in our community. Major sponsors of this year's Gala are the Frank G. and Frieda K. Brotz Family Foundation and Sargento Foods Inc.

Again this year, proceeds will benefit Lakeland, the SSO and a charity or nonprofit organization selected by each of the dancers.

The celebrities making up the 2010 Movers & Shakers lineup include:

  • Susan Bemis, a Sheboygan native and long-time employee at Bemis Manufacturing where she is involved in new process and material technology development, will perform the cha-cha. Votes for Bemis will also benefit Camp Anokijig.
  • Johnathan Brotz, materials production supervisor at Plastics Engineering Company, will perform the Viennese waltz. Votes for Brotz will also benefit the Sheboygan Christian School Scholarship Fund.
  • Paula Gentine, a member of the St. John the Baptist Church school board and a community volunteer, will perform the salsa. Votes for Gentine will also benefit the Family Resource Center of Sheboygan County.
  • Zukie Hirota, who is involved in management at the Lakeland College Japan campus and has worked in international education for two decades, will perform the Latin showcase dance "Fragrance of Japan." Votes for Hirota will also benefit the Lakeland College Japan campus.
  • Arthur Perry, an active community leader and volunteer for over 50 years, will perform the waltz. Votes for Perry will also benefit the Weill Center Endowment.
  • Wally Waldhart, vice president of sales and communications at Acuity and an active community volunteer, will perform the American tango. Votes for Waldhart will also benefit Safe Harbor and the Theatre for Young Audiences.
  • Deborah Wente, an active community businessperson and volunteer and the chair of the Movers & Shakers organizing committee, will perform the fox trot. Votes for Wente will also benefit PSC Partners Seeking a Cure.

You don't have to attend the event to help support the charities. Anyone can purchase votes, at $20 each, for their favorite dancer prior to the event at the Movers & Shakers web site, moversandshakersgala.org. These causes and charities will receive 50 percent of the proceeds raised from the votes for each dancer on their behalf, so vote early and often.

The celebrities have been paired with a professional dancer, and are in the midst of months of training before they compete to win the support of three professional judges, one guest judge and what's expected to be another sell-out crowd.

"The Movers & Shakers Gala has quickly evolved into one of the area's most anticipated events," said Wente, a member of the Lakeland Board of Trustees. "Our goal is putting together a unique experience for our guests, and the feedback we've received is that we always exceed people's expectations.

"This is truly a community effort. There are over 150 volunteers who give of their time and talents, local ‘celebrities' entertain our guests with their stylish dancing and local companies give financially to support the event," Wente said.

"Lakeland College and The Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra are two longstanding organizations in this community with a shared vision of enriching the lives of individuals and families living here. They are resources that help make this a great place to live."

William TeWinkle, a partner in the Sheboygan law firm Rhode Dales and a fixture in community theatre, will serve as host and auctioneer for the evening.

Again this year, one guest will really make their vote count by being the high bidder for a seat at the professional judges table. The opportunity for a guest to "Be a Judge" will be the first live auction item of the night. The judges' scores count for 25 percent of the final results.

Todd Williams will make his debut as a professional judge this year, joining returning judges Sandi Vasatka and Jessica Mueller. Williams, the owner of Extreme All Star Dance, LLC, teaches at Sheboygan South High School and has coached high school cheer and dance for the past 17 years.

The mouthwatering menu, prepared by Lakeland's Dining Services staff, will feature asiago and spinach stuffed beef tenderloin and grilled mahi mahi with sundried tomato salsa, a salad with yellow and red grape tomatoes, roasted fennel, arugula and fresh greens topped with a cilantro and lime vinaigrette and pecorino pepato cheese. Dessert will be a warm chocolate molten cake with fresh raspberries and crème anglaise.

Following the competition, the dance floor will be open to all guests and The Temperaments will provide music for the remainder of the evening.

Due to the overwhelming success of this event, tickets are selling quickly, but a limited number of seats are available. Front-row tables seating 10 people can be purchased for $5,000, while other tables of 10 are $2,000. Individual tickets are $200 each.

For tickets, call (920) 565-1014 or go online at moversandshakersgala.org.

There are a number of volunteer opportunities open to the community, if you want to get behind the scenes and help make this evening possible. More information is available at moversandshakersgala.org/volunteer.