{"id":36880,"date":"2025-09-25T12:47:38","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T16:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=36880"},"modified":"2025-10-02T14:39:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T18:39:53","slug":"dancing-with-the-easter-seals-stars-marks-10th-anniversary-with-million-dollar-goal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/dancing-with-the-easter-seals-stars-marks-10th-anniversary-with-million-dollar-goal\/","title":{"rendered":"Dancing with the Easter Seals Stars marks 10th anniversary with million-dollar goal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Daniella Altieri still recalls the feeling that she could do anything she wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the help of dedicated counsellors, she felt a whole new world open up to her while attending Easter Seals camps as a youth. She made new friends, enjoyed the great outdoors, and even discovered the joys of sledge hockey, which she played for more than five years, and now the former Easter Seals Ambassador and Early Childhood Educator is set to help pay it forward for children who were just like her as she prepares to hit the dance floor for Dancing with The Stars Aurora Newmarket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The popular annual event, which is marking its tenth anniversary this year, will take place Thursday, October 9, at the Royal Venetian Mansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joining Altieri in bringing star wattage to this year\u2019s party are Kitchen Table CEOs founder Tracy Smith; restaurateur Martin McQueen; Phil Rose, Manager of Cultural Services for the Town of Aurora; lawyer Jay Wilmot; entrepreneur Shabi Monzavi; Aurora Black Community Association founder and president Phiona Durrant; and business owner Samantha Buckley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since Dancing with the Stars Aurora Newmarket was first established by Easter Seals, with expert dance instruction from the owners of Aurora\u2019s Artistica Ballroom Dance Studios, the event has raised just shy of $1 million for the organization, which aims to send kids like Daniella to camp and provide mobility supports to youth in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrea Prentice-Peterson of Easter Seals tells The Auroran they need to raise just over $150,000 this year to hit that impressive $1 million mark and they know they can get there thanks to the dancers and community members who step up to purchase tickets and support the stars along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis event has become a staple in the community and I think this is one of the most anticipated events that happens every year because everybody is always looking out to see who will be dancing,\u201d says Prentice-Peterson. \u201cEvery year, it\u2019s a different cast of people, it\u2019s a different theme, it\u2019s a different set of songs, and people are always packing in to watch it. The fact that we\u2019re trying to make it a little bit bigger and a little bit better this year just makes it that much more enticing!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s theme is A Night of the Silver Screen, and contestants are hard at work with Artistica instructors Anastasia, Kelly, Patrick and Sarah to bring some iconic moves to iconic movie music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A long-time spokesperson for Easter Seals, Altieri has attended many of the Dancing with the Stars events, but it was only after last year\u2019s extravaganza when she approached the Artistica team to hit the dance floor herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEver since then I\u2019ve been practicing for this, I\u2019m over the moon \u2013 I\u2019m so excited,\u201d she says. \u201cYou\u2019re helping kids be kids. You\u2019re helping kids know that just because they have a disability they can still do anything they want to. I\u2019m trying to raise awareness that people with disabilities can do anything they want to do if they just think about it. You\u2019re helping kids be kids, you\u2019re helping a wonderful organization do that and I think that\u2019s just so beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a cause that resonates strongly with the assembled cast of celebs as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEaster Seals is definitely an amazing cause and once I knew the goal of the event was raising funds for kids with physical disabilities in Ontario, it is an amazing reason to push yourself,\u201d says Smith, before chuckling, \u201cI need to practice, practice, practice \u2013 period. I\u2019m just trying not to embarrass myself out there, make my instructor proud, my friends and family watching it, and just giving it my all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also looking to give it her all, and not worry too much about the dance moves themselves, is Durrant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First approached to participate in the event in 2022, she signed up this year \u2013 sure in the knowledge that, with the right song she has some good moves, but she wasn\u2019t quite anticipating being asked to bust out a cartwheel on October 9. She hasn\u2019t quite mastered it yet, but the event itself might be a different story as she hits the gymnastics studio to get it done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe whole point of this is fun,\u201d says Durrant. \u201cI was practicing at home one day and just started bawling because it got so emotional, knowing that here I am worrying about being perfect and getting it right, when I remember going to the (Easter Seals) camp, one of the campers\u2019 testimonies. [She said] the first time she stood up was when she was in the pool. Here I am, I have two feet, I can run, jump, and even have the ability to try, and some of them would never have that opportunity to stand up and dance on their own two feet, but here I am being picky about whether I\u2019m doing it right. Just go, have fun, raise your funds, and show up for the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was more comfortable to not so much worry about how many different moves I need to remember, but just remembering the impact this is going to make.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collective impact is what \u201csealed the deal\u201d for Rose after he too visited an Easter Seals camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were all just excited to have a space where they can become independent, they can socialize, they can be themselves where they can\u2019t be 51 weeks out of the year,\u201d he says. \u201cFor me, it was just an easy way to say yes to a really important organization. This is just about providing independence and autonomy for children with disabilities by giving them the programming and also the tools they need to live a full life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is one of those fundraisers where you know that the money you\u2019re putting into this is going to go directly to support and improve the lives of children with disabilities. Whatever the cost [to attend] is, it\u2019s well worth it \u2013 and, on top of that, you get a night of good food and community, a chance to meet some people, and hopefully have a few laughs along the way!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about this year\u2019s Dancing with the Easter Seals Stars Aurora-Newmarket, including tickets and how to support individuals Stars on their fundraising journey, visit eastersealsdancing.org\/newmarket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n\r\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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