Our Celebrity Dancers -Catch Them While You Can!

Our Dare to Dance celebrity dancers will be making several appearances over the next two weeks in the Scenic City. Continue visiting www.active.com/donate/daretodance to keep up with practice videos and pictures and to vote for your favorite dancer to win the People's Choice Award. Newly added video includes: Keith Cawley (WRCB Ch. 3) and Rachel Withers (WRCB Ch.3), who are, incidentally, engaged to each other! But that doesn't stop them from competing for that shiny disco ball trophy. WRCB Channel 3 will cover updates on the event, including video of Rachel and Keith, each morning at 6:20 a.m. Make sure to check it out! And check out Rachel Withers' blog at www.rachelwithers.blogspot.com.

You can also tune in on Tuesday, August 26th at 8:00 a.m. to WGOW Talk Radio 102.3 with Jeff Styles to hear Frank Burke, Manny Rico and Rachel Withers talk about their practice sessions and the event. Check out the Talk Radio Live Studio Webcams for a bird's eye view of our dancers at http://www.americainter.net/webcam/.

Check out Kim Carson's blog at http://www.us101country.com/pages/us101kimcarson.html and her latest practice video by clicking here. US101 is her proud "Dancer Champion"! Go Kim!

Rachel Oesch at WDEF Ch. 12 continues to promote the event each morning, and continues to practice her routine - which rocks! Visit WDEF's website each day after noon to see video of the morning show and to catch up. Go to www.wdef.com.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE DANCER????

Frank Burke Takes Lead for People's Choice Award

Frank Burke has hit a homerun! Not at AT&T Field, but in the People's Choice Award contest for Dare to Dance. Mr. Burke has helped raise over $2,000 to benefit the Partnership and the Kidney Foundation of the Greater Chattanooga Area. Several of Frank's supporters have pledged their support by making online donations in his name at www.active.com/donate/daretodance. Mr. Burke, owner of the Chattanooga Lookouts, will also be donating a portion of the proceeds from the Lookouts' tennis ball toss at home games scheduled for August 18 - 21 and over Labor Day weekend.

But the contest is far from over! Supporters can "cast their vote" for their favorite dancer by making donations at www.active.com/donate/daretodance. The People's Choice Award will be given at Dare to Dance, on September 6th, to the celebrity dancer raising the most money. Other celebrity dancer totals are:

• Missy Crutchfield - $675
• Kim Fields - $385
• Rachel Oesch - $225
• Kim Carson - $175
• Rachel Withers - $140
• Keith Cawley - $75
• Manny Rico - $50

You Gotta Have Friends!

The Partnership's development staff attended the Tennessee Valley Fundraising Institute (TVFI) last Friday at UTC, hosted by the United Way's Center for Nonprofits. The keynote address was delivered by the Queen of Networking, Andrea Nierenberg. Check out her blog at http://thenierenblog.typepad.com/about.html to see just how she has earned her title! Her speech was reinvigorating, focusing on the basics of relationships - making friends and keeping them, and especially how to avoid losing them. As a nonprofit and a provider of social services in the Greater Chattanooga area, the Partnership understands how important relationships are. We hope our friends know just how much we appreciate them. We could never in 100 years (or in 131?) do the work we do, empower people to build better lives, without the support of our friends. So THANK YOU!

And thank you to Ms. Nierenberg for sharing her experience and wisdom with so many development professionals in our community. Perhaps, as a result, there are hundreds of donors, volunteers and community supporters receiving calls and notes of thanks across Chattanooga this morning.

Dare to Dance Heats Up!

Our Dare to Dance dancers are each twirling and swirling their way to becoming Dare to Dance Champions. But the competition isn't saving itself for the dance floor - it's out and on the loose at www.active.com/donate/daretodance. Our dancers have been gathering support from their fans to win the People's Choice Award, and fans are putting their money where their mouth is!

As of tonight, WDEF Channel 12's Rachel Oesch is in the lead with $155 in donations, US101's Kim Carson is close behind with $110, and the rest of the pack has the potential to overtake the lead at any time. The winner of this award will receive their trophy at Dare to Dance on September 6th. The deadline for fans to vote for their favorite dancer to get a shot at the trophy is September 5th.

It's easy to vote! Just visit www.active.com/donate/daretodance and click on your favorite dancer to read their bio. Then simply make your online donation. Do you want to be a "Dancing Fan" for $10, a "Dancing Partner" for $25, or a full-fledged "Dancing Queen" for $50? Give more or less - it's up to you! It's all to support two great nonprofit agencies: The Kidney Foundation of the Greater Chattanooga Area and the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults.

And don't forget to buy your tickets! They're going fast. Just click here to purchase.