I'll Be Dancing With the Stars!

Last week, I attended a fun event for a great cause — the VIP Launch Party for the 6th Annual Dancing with the Stars Austin fundraiser to benefit the Center for Child Protection. This wonderful organization works to help children through the trauma that results from the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases.

My fellow dancers and I appear in the back row, with the Center for Child Protection organizers in front.

This event is structured much like the popular TV show, featuring local community members paired with professional dancers to compete in a dance-off for the coveted mirror ball trophy. But, most important, we'll be dancing to raise money and provide vital services for local children affected by child abuse, including pet therapy, an interactive ropes course and psychiatric services.

Notable community figures who will be cutting a rug with me for charity include:

• Carol Adams, president of Animal Trustees of Austin;
• Clayton Aynesworth, founder of Alternative Healing of Austin;
• David Garza, personal trainer for Camp Gladiator Arena;
• Wendy Harvey, development specialist for The Arbor;
• Ginny Jones, mother, philanthropist and community volunteer;
• Andra Liemandt, drummer for The Cover Girls;
• Tanuj Nakra, cosmetic surgeon at Texas Oculoplastic Consultants;
• Graydon Parrish, artist, art historian and color theorist; and
• Alex Winkelman, executive director of Citizen Generation.

The judges this year include Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo (who participated as a dancer at each of the last two events), State Sen. Kirk Watson and, of course, local KLBJ radio personality Ed Clements, who has been a fixture on the judges' panel in recent years.

The dancers and Center for Child Protection organizers are pictured above. Below, you can see me at the event with my dance instructor, Rowdy. He's very serious about teaching me how to dance with my two left feet!


This is my dance instructor, Rowdy. We're going to raise a bunch of money, along with the coveted mirror ball trophy!

The big event, presented by Lexus of Austin, will take place Dec. 2 at the Hilton Austin Downtown. Please visit the Center for Child Protection's website to see YouTube footage from last year's event and to learn more about this worthy cause. Hope to see you there!