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Community Corner

Dancing With the Yorktown Stars II Raises $14k for Relay for Life

350 guests gathered at Sinapi's Ceola Manor in Jefferson Valley on Friday night for "Dancing With the Yorktown Stars-II, which helped raise $14,000 for the upcoming American Cancer Society's Relay for Life Yorktown scheduled for June 8.

It was a night filled with laughter and toe-tapping as 350 guests gathered at Sinapi’s Ceola Manor in Jefferson Valley Friday for “Dancing with the Yorktown Stars-II.”

The event was held to increase cancer awareness in part with the day’s "" event, and helped to raise $14,000 for the upcoming scheduled for June 8.

The evening of dancing played off the popular television show, "Dancing with the Stars," and featured well-known Yorktown residents who were paired up with professional dancers, all of whom volunteered their services for the event. prior to the big night, and presented a short dance piece which was rated by a panel of judges.

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"This was my first dance lesson ever," said dancer Mary Froats, a teacher at . "I’m having so much fun and I’m even going to keep up my lessons with my husband for our daughter’s wedding in August."

Froats was paired up with dancing professional Jason Pimentel, a dancer with the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in White Plains. Pimentel agreed to volunteer his talent after receiving an e-mail about the event.

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"I had an old dance teacher that passed away from prostate cancer, so this is an emotional thing for me," Pimentel said. "It’s been great having the chance to just expose [Mary] to the love of dancing."

and was the brain-child of two Relay for Life teams, The Bunco Babes and Class Action. The first "Dancing with the Yorktown Stars" was such a fun, successful event, the teams decided to hold a second this year.

"I feel so blessed and fortunate to live to live in this town," said Lynne Rothman, event coordinator and Bunco Babe team member. "It’s an amazing community. The people are all so giving and no one ever says no."

The doors opened to guests at 7 p.m. to reveal numerous spreads of delicious foods throughout the restaurant, all of which was generously donated by the establishment’s owner, Tino Sinapi.

"We wanted to keep the event local," Rothman said. "We owe so much to Tino and Ceola Manor. This wouldn’t have been possible without them."

As guests snacked on a variety of appetizers and sipped their cocktails, the music of Class Action filled the ballroom of the restaurant. Some guests couldn’t help hitting the dance floor before the completion, while others opted to enjoy the fresh air and view the rising moon off the restaurants tented back patio.

Eight couples participated in the contest, each decked out in appropriate costumes to suite their musical styles. The duos danced everything from Cha-Cha to Ballroom. The night even included a hip-hop performance by  officer, Rich Finn, and his partner Alexis Diaz of Street Beatz Dance Studio, which concluded with a standing ovation from the crowd.

The winners of the dance completion were Susan Berry,  principal and Martin Smith, who owns Smiths Dancing School.

After a brief awards ceremony Class Action returned to the stage and guests filled the ballroom floor to show off their own dance moves. Cake and pastries were served as participants were embraced by friends and fans, and congratulated on their performances. Outside the ballroom, those who had just watched the show recalled their favorite dancers.

"I thought the whole thing was wonderful,” Kathy Slater said.

"I loved Finn’s performance," Matt Slater said. "He’s just an awesome guy and the dance definitely matched his personality. He did a great job."

All that help organize the event agreed the night was a success, and those who attended said they were already looking forward to next year’s Dancing With the Yorktown Stars.

"What an amazing evening," Sinapi said. "The best part is that everyone’s so happy, and that makes me happy."

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