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Local dancers raise more than $140,000 for Easter Seals kids

October 29, 2026   ·   0 Comments

Local celebrities hit the dance floor at the Royal Venetian Mansion this month, raising more than $140,000 for Easter Seals kids and their families.

The 11^th annual Dancing with the Easter Seals Stars Aurora-Newmarket was another success for Easter Seals Ontario as eight community and business leaders were put through their paces by Anastasia, Kelly, Patrick, and Sarah of Aurora’s Artistica Ballroom Dance Studio.

Dancers Neysa Abrego, Erin Cartwright, Ed Gundert, Lucy Jackson, Paul LePage, Bianca Rollo, Alison Mumford, and Mike Waddington, began training with the Artistica team in the latter part of the spring, working hard throughout the summer and into the fall to master new moves with their professional partners.

Some came to the dance floor having had a family member as alumni of the Dancing with the Stars program who were able to give them a few tips along the way. Others were going in cold, putting any trepidation aside knowing that it was all for a good cause: helping send kids with disabilities to summer camp, while providing supports for their families along the way.

“It’s honestly been the best experience working with Patrick and the entire team at Artistica. It’s been amazing – all the other dancers, you truly inspired me,” said Mumford, President & CEO of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, after her first number. “Watching you guys today was awesome. You guys all killed it. I’m so, so grateful to have met you and seen you dance, but most importantly, the money that we raised for Easter Seals is important.”

This support was returned by Patrick who said Mumford came into the studio from the outset with “a super-positive attitude.”

LePage was similarly enthusiastic about the event and the cause, adding, “For me, it’s not being proud of myself, it’s being lucky to be a part of a big experience like this. To be honest, we made such a difference for these kids. The whole community’s gotten together to rally behind this cause, and I’m just grateful to be a part of it.”

That gratitude was returned, in turn, by 17-year-old Easter Seals Ambassador Miles Checkley who spent the eve of his birthday at the event and was on the receiving end of a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday To You” sung by the nearly-350 guests in attendance.

Checkley lives with cerebral palsy and has a goal of eventually becoming a sports broadcaster.

“I think it’s important that people focus on what someone can do, rather than what he can’t,” he said when appointed Ambassador earlier this year of the importance of these camps and recreational opportunities. “Everyone can participate; some may just do things differently.”

On the floor of the Royal Venetian, he shared some of his sports credentials, entertaining audiences with stories of his 10-year friendship with former Toronto Blue Jays Manager Buck Martinez, himself a long-time supporter of Easter Seals.

“Thank you for being here because your support means everything to an Easter Seals kid,” said Miles. “It helps with getting funding for home and vehicle modifications and helps kids go to camp, which is the greatest place on earth, I’d say. Your support is truly unforgettable. I can’t thank you more. It’s awesome.”

Reflecting on the event, Andrea Peterson, Director of Development for Easter Seals Ontario, said it was a “beautiful evening” that also allowed contestants and Easter Seals alike to pay tribute to people that had an impact on the event in the past – and those who had an impact on the performances delivered that evening.

“I want to give a huge congratulations and thank you to Artistica Ballroom Dance Studio because they are an amazing group of people. Without them, this show wouldn’t be what it was. I truly love working with them and working on this event. Each of the dancers dedicated their songs to someone specific in their lives and that person that was being dedicated to didn’t find out until the night of,” she shared. “When the dancers came out and they danced for them, it was just really, really lovely and had a huge emotional tie to it.

“We did our opening number dedicated to Sam,” she continued, referencing local restaurateur and past Dancing with the Stars contestant Sam Saberi, who died suddenly earlier this year, sparking a huge community outpouring. “Being able to recognize Sam from our point of view was an awesome thing because he was so predominant in the community. He didn’t just help Easter Seals. He helped everybody. He was always there, always supportive, and we wanted to take the time to honour him and all he has done.”

The words offered by Miles, and the lived experiences shared by others, she added, really drove home what continues to drive contestants, Easter Seals Ontario as an organization, each year.

“When you see a child in a wheelchair, when you see a family with a child with a disability and they’re using a walker, a cane, a wheelchair, or whatever the case may be, you look at that and sometimes that’s all you really think about; you think about the limitations that must cause or the issues they have. But it’s never just that,” she said. “Chances are, there is more than one apparatus that this child uses, and it’s very costly for the families. If a child is unable to walk, they need help getting out of bed, they need help getting into the washroom, they need help going from the washroom, they need help showering, they need help getting dressed – these are all things that chair lifts, commodes, and shower chairs and lifts, [help with].

“The cost that it takes for these families to get their children up and ready for school and out the door for a day in comparison to a family where both children are able-bodied…We talk about bringing independence, dignity and confidence to these children and they need this equipment to be able to just move around and do things like everybody else, like able-bodied people.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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