Photo courtesy of Dancers Against Cancer.
Gala members, from left: Ella Kate Clark, Livi Gay, Caroline Lombardo, Emma Lombardo and Lauren Wideman. Second row, from left: Abigail Wideman, Sara Kate Lombardo, Brianna Limbaugh, Lilly Stanbery and Sarah Lynn. Third row, from left: Ashton Gay, Josie Wilbourn, Savannah Limbaugh, Payton Tice, Kaili Marlin, Kalea Townes and Kate Lowery. Back row, from left: Ethan Finnegan and Jordan Lynn. Not pictured: Abbie Argo, Darcy Hall, Molly Horn, Sydney Humphries and Myah Tarassoli.
After a sellout of its inaugural event last February, the Dancers Against Cancer Gala returns Feb. 16 at the Trussville Civic Center.
“The Gala is family-friendly and run by youth dancers who are uniting their talents to raise money to make a difference,” Emily Lombardo said. “We’re expecting another sold out event.”
Lombardo’s daughters Sarah Kate (13), Emma (11) and Caroline (9) helped organize the inaugural gala in 2018 after learning about I’m a Dancer Against Cancer, an organization that helps meet the financial needs of dancers who are fighting cancer. Proceeds from the annual event are donated equally to I’m A Dancer Against Cancer and UAB Neuro-Oncology.
The gala includes dinner, a silent auction and a dance showcase featuring Miss Kelley’s School of Dance, 5678 Dance and More, the Hewitt-Trussville Middle School Dance Team and Hewitt-Trussville High School High Steppers. Each dance will include at least one dancer who has a connection to cancer. For the Lombardos, it is their father, Michael, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2016 and treated at UAB.
This year, the Lombardo sisters and more than 20 other dancers formed the first Dancers Against Cancer Junior Board to organize the annual event. The board members believe they are “never too young to make a difference,” a motto adopted from Zoe Champion of Leeds. She is a fellow dancer and Miss Jefferson County’s Outstanding Teen.
Tickets are $25 each, and tables of eight may be reserved for $200 or priority seating tables for $400. To purchase tickets, make an auction donation or for questions about the event, emaildancersagainstcancer@yahoo.com or call 422-0027.
Tickets are also available on eventbrite.com.
In addition to Miss Kelley’s School of Dance and 5678 Dance and More, major event sponsors include Agnew Jewelers, Benzaia Photography, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Dobbs and Atkins Dentistry, Monkey Business Boutique, Rape and Brooks Orthodontist, Sheepdog Firearms, Shelby Printing and Southeastern Refrigeration.
Event updates are available on the “Dancers Against Cancer Trussville AL” Facebook page.
