By Marci Shatzman
Boca’s version of “Dancing with the Stars” launched the 2023 social season with a sold-out and record-breaking fundraiser for the George Snow Scholarship Fund Saturday night at The Boca Raton.
A packed house of cheering supporters for this year’s eight community dancers watched them perform with professional partners to rock and roll oldies. When “Boca’s Ballroom Battle” was over, fund president Tim Snow announced the winners: Oceans234 restaurateur Danielle Rosse topped the all-time record, generating $1.2 million in scholarship donations. YMCA of South Palm Beach County and Place of Hope Rinker campus trustee and Casa de Montecristo cigar bars CEO Brad Winstead racked up $325,000.
The other dancers were:
· Immediate past Junior League of Boca Raton president and Realtor Jamie Sauer
· President/CEO and the event’s presenting sponsor A1A Limo’s CEO Rick Versace
· Founding partner Johnson Ritchie Family Law firm Caroline Johnson
· President and CEO Levy & Associates accounting firm LaWrence Levy
· Lake Worth Playhouse education director Shoshana Davidowitz
· Neurologist Dr. Patricio Espinosa
The dancers took months of lessons and spoke via videos with their professional partners from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Boca Raton.
Paige Kornblue and WPTV/ABC meteorologist Glenn Glazer reprised their emcee roles. Auctioneer Neil Saffer generated thousands in luxury live auction items from trips to diamonds.
Event co-chairs this year were Andrea Virgin, leading the proposed Center for the Arts & Innovation, the city’s new performing arts complex, and Tracey McCutchen Rossi, a former Snow dancer and Boca native, now senior vice president of Marsh & McLennan insurance brokers.
Among the speakers introducing each dancer were Snow board chairman Jerry Fedele. Alumni community dancer “judges” included Ingrid Fulmer, Peter Gary, Dr. Melyssa Hancock, Kelly Fleming and Paul Bonaros.