Cast announced for 2017 Dancing Stars of South Georgia fundraiser
Dancing event will raise funds to benefit the Azheimer’s Association in Georgia
From Staff Reports
TIFTON — Ten South Georgia celebrities will dance the night away April 29 to help raise funds for the Georgia chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The event, Dancing Stars of South Georgia, is modeled after the popular reality TV show “Dancing With the Stars” and will pair area residents with professional dancers, who will perform at the University of Georgia Conference Center in Tifton. Supporters of each dancer can vote online by donating $1 per vote, which benefits the association.
Eunice Mixon, 2017 Dancing Stars of South Georgia event chair, said the April 29 event “will allow us to band together with the Alzheimer’s Association in support of caregivers and the search for a cure.”
The cast for this year’s show includes Lindy Bengston, real estate agent, Century 21, Smith Branch & Pope; Dr. Bill Buntin of Albany, a retired pediatrician and anesthesiologist, and a professional storyteller; Melody Cowart, director of sales, Williams Investments in Tifton; Tifton Vice Mayor Wes Ehlers; Blonese Johnson, Cook County Medical and Tifton Regional Medical Center; Griffin Martin, a physical therapy aide and student in Tifton; Terri Martin, administrative assistant to Dr. William Guest in Tifton; Jennifer Spring, a dental hygienist with Longleaf Dental in Albany; Eric Wisham, owner of Wisham Jellies in Tifton, and Neil Clements, business management chair, Southern Regional Technical College in Thomasville.
The event will be hosted by Tyron Spearman, editor of the Peanut Farm Market News, and TV personality Karla Heath-Sands.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the disease affects more than 5.4 million Americans and is the sixth-leading cause of death, with no cure or treatment to slow its progression. Alzheimer’s disease kills more people than prostate and breast cancer combined, the association says. The percentage of Georgians 65 and older who have Alzheimer’s is expected to rise 46 percent within eight years, according to a recent study cited by the organization.
The Georgia chapter serves more than 130,000 people living with Alzheimer’s disease and their families. It has seven offices in the state and provides vital education, support and services in all of Georgia’s 159 counties.
For information on the Georgia Chapter, visit www.alz.org/georgia.
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