Fundraiser Benefits Local Nonprofits – See Pictures Below
ST. CLOUD, MN – The fifth annual Women’s Fund Presents Dancing with Our Stars came back stronger than ever with a record-breaking event! After a year off due to the pandemic, the event was live-streamed from the Hubert H. Humphrey stage at Saint John’s University on Monday, June 14, 2021. Combined with sponsorships, the event raised a total of $389,428.10 for local organizations that benefit women and girls within a 30-mile radius of St. Cloud. This year’s event featured a dance competition between five local “community stars” who were paired with a professional partner for a chance to win up to a $15,000 grant for the nonprofit program of their choice. The Women’s Fund donated a total of $37,000 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 of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation 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 2021 event:
- Community Star, Ryan Cross from BCI Construction, along with pro Rachel Trout, danced to benefit Anna Marie’s Alliance. They raised $101,434.17 and took home 1st place prize of $15,000 for a grand total of $116,434.17 awarded.
- Community Star, CeCe Terlouw from Terebinth Refuge, along with pro Jerome Akubue, danced to benefit Terebinth Refuge They raised $39,949.99 and took home 2nd place prize of $10,000 for a total of $49,949.99 awarded. They also took home the Judges’ Choice award adding an additional $3,000, bringing their grand total to $52,949.99.
- Community Star, Clare Richards from Vye, along with pro Matthias Meyer, danced to benefit Central MN Child Advocacy Center. They raised $33,480.12 and took home 3rd place prize of $5,000 for a grand total of $38,480.12 awarded.
- Community Star, Matt Parks, a Registered Nurse working in home care, along with pro Janell Missler, danced to benefit St. Cloud StandDown, Lady Veterans Boutique. They raised $24,055.36 and took home 4th place prize of $2,000 for a grand total of $26,055.36 awarded.
- Community Star, Kim Miller Swenson from Rejuv Medical, along with pro Scarlette Revolver, danced to benefit St. Cloud Pride Community Education Panels & Youth Scholarships. They raised $7,883.46 and took home 5th place prize of $2,000 for a grand total of $9,883.46 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 14, 2021 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 over $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 $110.5 million in assets and awarded over $122.5 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 880 funds totaling more than $153 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/CentralMN.
