Fundraiser Benefits Programs for Women and Girls
St. Cloud, Minn. – Back in-person this year at the College of Saint Benedict, the Women’s Fund Presents: Dancing with Our Stars Live event has raised more funds than ever before. The event was held in the Escher Auditorium and gathered a crowd of more than 650 people. Funds raised by dancers and charities, combined with event sponsorships ($168,650) the event raised $480,242.50 for local organizations that benefit women and girls within a 30-mile radius of St. Cloud.
This year’s 6th annual event featured a dance competition among six local “community stars” who were paired with a professional dancer for a chance to win up to a $15,000 grant for the nonprofit program of their choice. The Women’s Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation donated a total of $42,000 in grant money to participants based on their rankings in the competition.
Dancers showcased their skills to raise funds for their supported charities through the Women’s Fund event. Final scoring for the competition was based 60% on the dollars raised for the associated charity and 40% on judges’ scores.
The Women’s Fund Presents is proud to announce the results from the 2022 event:
-Community Star, Helga Bauerly, Evereve Stylist and Community Advocate, danced with pro Jerome Akubue to benefit GREAT Theatre’s ‘Girl Power via the Arts!’ Program. They raised $179,129.50 and took home 1st place prize of $15,000 for a grand total of $194,129.50 awarded.
-Community Star, Daniel Larson from St. Cloud Technical and Community College Foundation, danced with pro Janell Missler to benefit SCTCC Women in STEM & Trades. They raised $122,876 and took home 2nd place prize of $10,000 for a grand total of $132,876 awarded.
-Community Star, Chip Martin-Chaffee from CentraCare, danced with pro David DeBlieckto benefit The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls. They raised $84,092 and took home 3rd place prize of $5,000. They also took home the Judges’ Choice award adding an additional $3,000, bringing their grand total to $92,092 awarded.
-Community Star, Jeremy Salzbrun from H&S Heating and Air Conditioning, danced with pro Lisa Lawson to benefit The Beautiful Mind Project – MOSAIC. They raised $72,550 and took home 4th place prize of $3,000 for a grand total of $75,550 awarded.
-Community Star, Hannah Mikels from St. Cloud State University, danced with pro Matthias Meyer to benefit SCSU’s Gender Violence Prevention Program. They raised $12,803 and took home 5th place prize of $3,000 for a grand total of $15,803 awarded.
-Community Star, Mandi Moon, Founder of The Good People, danced with pro Steve Streng to benefit the Jugaad Leadership Program. They raised $8,792 and took home 6th place prize of $3,000 for a grand total of $11,792 awarded.
Note: these results are unaudited, and dollars are continuing to come in for the charities. These numbers reflect the total amount raised as of June 13, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
Since 2002, the Women’s Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation has been dedicated to strengthening the community by improving the lives of women and girls. The Women’s Fund has granted nearly $1.6 million to support local programs in three core focus areas: girls age 10-18, women in transition and elder women.
The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local community. Since 1985, CMCF has grown to over $147.6 million in assets and awarded over $134.5 million in grants to non-profits. The CMCF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a collaborative of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 900 funds totaling nearly $201 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/CentralMN.