Philanthropy - Love the word and the meaning.

DWOS 2014 - Harrah's Casino, Metropolis IL

   

I originally was going to title this post, "Dancing with the Stars," but then I thought that people would think I was referencing the ABC show that's been on perhaps a little too long #sorrynotsorry . I'd like to  to apologize, in advance, for the crappy pictures of everything else but the food ....

First off, I love the word philanthropy. It's fun to say and for obvious reasons, I believe being charitable is important - whether it's giving money or volunteering my time. Also, let's call it like it is - I'm a relatively poor teacher, who just impulsively bought a house and has been known to buy her feelings, so when it comes to money, I like to find events that I can experience that benefit a charitable cause. 

Every year in Paducah, one of the local hospital's Relay for Life team hosts a HUGE event inspired by the aforementioned show "Dancing with the Stars." This event is a big moneymaker..I believe they are one of top 3 Relay teams in the country for money raised. They pick local people that either a) have a hefty bank account or b) have some notoriety in the community. It's typically a line-up of doctors, lawyers, newscasters, rich housewives, business owners, etc. They team up with a local ballroom dancer, practice for about 8 months on a routine, wear gorgeous costumes, and ultimately work on raising money for the American Cancer Society. They raised over $200,000 this year, with the winner of the event raising $30k+ (They go based on how much money you raise, not on whether your dancing is legit or not.. luckily the winner did an AWESOME parodied version of Miley Cyrus/Robin Thicke 'Blurred Lines' performance, complete with foam fingers sans the raunch)

This is Missy. She's a friend of mine, who also happens to be a professional ballroom dancer and has been involved with this event for years. 

 I've attended the event with one of my Besties, Heather, and her mom, for the past two years and it's becoming an annual thing. I would be lying to you if I said that I didn't want to be one of the dancers.. I basically want to stand on top of the table every year and say, "PICK ME. CHOOSE ME. I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE."

Aside from the dancing, one of  THE best part of the event is the food.. 

I pretty much starved myself all day in preparation for the evening's sustenance. In my belly went: gouda grits and shrimp, mini crabcakes with remoulade, filet mignon beef sliders with bourbon barbecue sauce, mini KY hot browns, sushi, korean pork and kimchi tacos.... om nom nom...

So, here's where you may judge me.. and that's fine.... Just so you know, I paid a small fortune for my ticket.. so that warrants me sampling all of the dessert options... I want to have shame... but I just can't... All of them were divine..except for the middle of the top row with the whipped cream and lone blackberry.. it was like an orange tart something... it reminded me of the orange flavored toothpaste I get at the dentist since I don't do mint. 

There was also a silent auction, which I did have the winning bid on a few items.. First - some personal training sessions at a private fitness studio here in P'town.. They are usually hella expensive and I scored 5 sessions for about 20% of the total market value of the package.. Hot Body for my 30th B-day, here I come... Side note: Has anyone tried Dietbetter? I'm highly considering partaking in one of the 28-day bets, to kickstart things. 

Perhaps on the weird side for some... but, I also won the bid on a package for a 4-hour session with a well-known holistic practitioner in Paducah who does hypno-therapy. Word-of-mouth has been incredibly positive, so it should prove to be interesting...I'll be making my appointment soon, so I'll be sure to blog about it.

What are some charitable events that you love to attend?