Sold-Out Crowd
In front of a sold-out crowd at the Paramount Theatre, Praveen Keshava, MD, owner, and ophthalmologist at Central Vermont Eye Care and Sam Ho, a dance instructor at Cobra Gymnastics and Dance Center were presented with the Mirror Ball Trophy as the Judges Choice at the eighth annual Dancing with the Rutland Stars. Mike McClallen, an attorney at McClallen & Associates, P.C. and Katrina Werbinski, of Miss Lorraine’s School of Dance, were voted Fan Favorite.
Since 2011, the event has paired dance professionals from the greater Rutland community with a broad spectrum of individuals in the community for a one-night-only dance performance in support of Kids on the Move, a pediatric rehabilitation program and pediatric high-tech services, both programs of the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR).
“Caring for the health and welfare of children is an important part of VNAHSR’s mission,” said Carrie Allen, President of the Board of Directors at the VNAHSR and chair of the event. “We are thrilled that this event has become a signature event for the agency and most importantly has raised critical funds for these pediatric programs.”
“The amount of preparation our dance couples spend is evident in their creative, entertaining dance routines,” added Allen. “Since the second year of the event we have sold-out because the dancers, stars, event committee, and the community have supported our mission of inspiring children to gain the skills and confidence to reach their full potential.”
The event cast included:
Matt Cataldo, co-owner and partner of Carpenter & Costin and Tracy Tedesco, owner/instructor of Fitness Made Fun; Gordon Dritschilo, staff writer at the Rutland Herald and Kylee Lawrence, owner and instructor at Studio 15; Praveen Kesheva, MD, owner of Central Vermont Eye Care and Sam Ho, BSN, RN, at Rutland Regional Medical Center ENT & Audiology and instructor at Cobra Gymnastics and Dance Center; Mike McClallen, attorney at McClallen & Associates and Katrina Werbinski, physical therapist and instructor at Miss Lorraine’s School of Dance; Jody McIntosh, MSN, RN, manager of Rutland Regional Medical Center’s Women’s & Children’s Unit and William Kelley, founder and practitioner at Pyramid Holistic and Wellness Center; Andy Paluch, executive director of Come Alive Outside and Sheila McCutcheon, assistant vice president, store manager of TD Bank in Manchester Center and instructor at Miss Jackie’s Studio of Dance; and Lisa Ryan, program manager of the Rutland County Community Justice Center at BROC Community Action and Adam King, account executive at Kinney Pike Insurance and instructor at Studio Fitness.
The event was emceed by Eric Mallette, Programming Director of the Paramount Theatre and past Fan Favorite Winner and Root’s bartender, Karri Barrett.
Judges were Dave Correll, General Manager at Best Western Inn & Suites Rutland-Killington; Bernadette Robin, Marketing and Business Development Director for the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of the Southwest Region and Claus Bartenstein, an electrical engineer and Principal at Engineering Services of Vermont.
About the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region
Founded in Rutland, Vermont, the VNAHSR has grown to include locations throughout Bennington and Rutland Counties. VNAHSR is a non-profit, Medicare-certified home health and hospice agency delivering a wide-range of advanced medical care with compassion, dependability, and expertise to people of all ages.
With office locations in Bennington, Dorset, Manchester and Rutland, we have nearly 350 trusted health professionals and caregivers committed to providing exceptional care to patients and families.
Proud of our national reputation for quality care, VNAHSR is highly rated for Quality of Patient Care and Patient Satisfaction from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and is recognized as one of the nation’s top 100 performing home health agencies, by HomeCare Elite, a market-leading review that identifies top Medicare-certified agencies.
