Dancing with the Desert Stars Raises Nearly $30,000 for Local Nonprofits

What a night, and what an incredible community!

This year’s Dancing with the Desert Stars brought together an amazing group of people for an evening filled with dancing, live music, laughter, friendship, and a shared commitment to supporting organizations that make a difference right here in our community.

Best of all, together we raised nearly $30,000 to benefit four local nonprofits: Scully Learning Center Foundation, Holland Center, Foothills Food Bank, and Foothills Caring Corps.

That is something worth celebrating!

Our Stars Brought the Energy!

Of course, it wouldn’t be Dancing with the Desert Stars without our STARS!

A huge thank you to Allison Rodriguez, Lexi Lambert, Emma Parkhouse, and Valentin Mendoza for stepping onto the dance floor and giving it their all. You brought the energy, enthusiasm, and plenty of fun to the evening!

It takes courage to get out there and perform in front of a crowd, but our dancers did more than entertain us. They helped rally friends, family, and the community around four organizations doing important work throughout the Desert Foothills.

And when the dancing was done, Whiskey Lizard kept the celebration going with great live music and even more dancing!

A Special Thank You to Our Judges

Every great dance competition needs a great panel of judges, and we were fortunate to have three very special community leaders join us for the evening.

A huge thank you to Carefree Mayor John Crane, Cave Creek Vice Mayor Kathryn Royer, and Contemporary Southwestern Artist, Author, and Storyteller Ray Tigerman for taking on the important, and probably not always easy, job of judging our Desert Stars!

Thank you for bringing your personalities, enthusiasm, and community spirit to the evening. We loved having you be part of the fun!

Four Nonprofits, One Community

One of the things that made this event so special was seeing our community come together to support four different organizations, each serving our neighbors in its own way.

The Scully Learning Center Foundation creates opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to learn, socialize, experience new things, build friendships, and remain connected to their community.

The Holland Center brings people together through lifelong learning, arts, culture, community programs, and opportunities to connect.

The Foothills Food Bank provides food and essential support to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity throughout our area.

And Foothills Caring Corps helps older adults and individuals with disabilities remain independent and connected through transportation, meals, friendly visits, mobility assistance, and other vital services.

Different missions, but one common goal: making our community stronger by helping the people who call it home.

We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You

An event like Dancing with the Desert Stars doesn’t happen because of just one person or organization. It happens because an entire community comes together to make it happen.

To our donors and sponsors, thank you for believing in these organizations and generously supporting the work we do.

To everyone who purchased a ticket, attended the event, cheered on our dancers, donated, voted, or helped spread the word, thank you. Every contribution played a part in reaching nearly $30,000.

To our incredible volunteers, thank you for giving your time and working behind the scenes to make the evening possible.

To our Stars, thank you for bringing the energy, the fun, and the heart. To our judges, thank you for joining in the fun and making the competition even more memorable.

And to everyone who filled the room, you made the night what it was. Seeing so many people together, laughing, dancing, celebrating, and supporting our local nonprofits was a wonderful reminder of just how special this community is.

Nearly $30,000 Reasons to Celebrate

We started with the idea of creating a fun evening that would bring people together while supporting local organizations. Our community turned it into something much bigger.

Nearly $30,000 raised means more opportunities, more resources, more connections, and more ways to help our neighbors.

From all of us at the Scully Learning Center Foundation, thank you for making Dancing with the Desert Stars such an incredible success.

We danced. We celebrated. We made memories. And most importantly, we made a difference together.

We can’t wait to see what we can accomplish next!