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And the Dancing Stars of Olney winner is...

The Olney Community Library & Art Center drew a packed house at its biggest fundraiser of the year - the Dancing Stars of Olney dance competition on Sept. 23 - where the dance team from Tower Extrusions captured first-place honors for the second year running.

The event at the Main Room featured a dinner catered by Dos Leones Fine Mexican Restaurant of Graham, a silent auction of home-backed delectables, DJ services by Chris Widner and entertainment in the form of four dance teams from Olney who put it all on the line performing dance routines for dollars. The fundraiser brought in close to $13,000, said OCLAC Director Lori Cox.

This year’s dancers and their routine were: Tower–Rue Rogers and Luke Leonard with their interpretation of a skit from Saturday Night Live of a couple of male strippers originally played by Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze. The Tower team won the coveted Dancing Stars of Olney Glitter Ball Trophy for raising the most money for library literacy and arts programs.

Olney Enterprise and House of Mercy-Ronni Walker, Gina Keating, Preston Crow, Kimberly Smith, James Haynes, Ress Jones, Nancy Bowden, Morgan Long and William Sadler with their rendition of Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance video.

Gina Keating and Joe Bob Cumpton with a romantic storybook dance routine.

Olney Police Department-Chief Dan Birbeck, Officer Joe Logan, Officer Miranda Wright and Preston Birbeck with their performance of The Village People’s 1980s dance routine, “YMCA.”

There was magic in the air as people from Olney dressed in their finest attire gracefully filled the festively decorated building across from City Hall. DJ Widner kept the evening lively with music, and attendees hustled and bustled about the venue chatting, laughing and having a grand time at one of the must-attend events of the year.

The dancing started with an impromptu dance lesson from dance instructor David Molina who quickly had people scooting across the dance floor with a line dance. The first dance of the evening was an enchanted fairy tale dance by Gina Keating and Joe Bob Cumpton, you could hear the oohs and ahs from the audience.

Things really took off when Chief Dan Birbeck of the Olney Police Department had the crowded venue on their feet singing along with and performing the YMCA song, accompanied by his crew of dancers. The crowd really loved a 50’s hop style dance from Mrs. Cox and Mr. Molina; they had the place really hopping. The venue exploded into laughter and cheers as Olney Mayor Rue Rogers and Olney Chamber Board Member Luke Leonard performed a famous Saturday Night skit as two male strippers. The final performance of the night had attendees shivering with fright at first as the Olney Enterprise and House of Mercy teamed up to perform the iconic zombie dance from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. Olney enjoyed a very magical night of dancing, dining and fellowship with their community all to help out one of the true hearts of the community, the Olney Community Library & Arts Center.