Strictly & Big Burns Supper pair up for six of the best causes
Strictly for Charity – the Dumfries dance extravaganza – came a quickstep closer yesterday when impressive rehearsals took place at Easterbrook Hall.
This year Strictly has its own partner, the Big Burns Supper festival, and the two are working jointly to raise funds for half a dozen local good causes.
Next Sunday the Strictly dancers will join the huge Burns Night Carnival parade which has been organised by the festival.
The Strictly team will also be collecting cash at Big Burns Supper shows throughout the nine-day event which runs from 22 to 30 January.
Yesterday’s rehearsals brought together the nine dancing couples plus the five group acts – which are being created by each of the charities benefiting from this year’s Strictly.
Michael Pattie, who set up the Strictly initiative in 2004 along with his wife Patsy, said: “It’s been huge fun getting everyone together and what a show we have in store!
“And we’re really looking forward to taking part in Sunday’s carnival – having Big Burns Supper and Strictly working together like this is great for us, but what’s really important is that it means we can raise even more money for six really good causes which are working hard for people across Dumfries and Galloway.”
Patsy added: “We are really looking forward to it – the show’s is going to be fantastic this year with a great mix of dancing couples and group acts.”
Over the years Michael and his wife Patsy’s efforts have secured £300,000 for charities in Dumfries and Galloway.
This year’s causes, which are being profiled by Big Burns Supper on its Facebook page, are Meningitis Research Foundation, Cash for Kids, Dumfries and Galloway Women’s Aid, Breast Cancer Care, The Cystic Fibrosis Trust and The People’s Project.
Each will be creating its own lantern for the street carnival.
Graham Main, Big Burns Supper Artistic Director, said: “The rehearsals were a real reminder of how much fun Strictly for Charity is, andof the dedication of the dancers in putting together an absolutely superb show.
“We are really proud to be supporting the amazing work by Michael and Patsy and would encourage everyone to give generously to collections at the carnival and at our shows. The money they donate makes a real difference to the lives of people across our region.”
Mr Pattie lost his 13-year-old son Dave to meningitis. He now works with the foundation to help in its work to rid the world of meningitis and septicaemia, which are responsible for the deaths of 1,000 young children across the world each day.
This year’s participating couples are:
• Musician Jamie McClennan and dance education specialist Frances Forsyth
• Singer Davie Thomson and Nicole Hamlet
• Dumfries High School depute headteacher Phil Cubbin and nurse Cherie Kelly
• Alive Radio presenter Lee Medd and business manager from DG Chamber of Commerce Linda Stewart
• Dumfries Cornet 2015 Ross Hyslop and performing arts teacher Debbie Mitchell
• Primary school teacher Bruce Carr and marketing consultant Alison Ball
• Theatre Royal general manager Mark Alexander and Morag Graham
• Eddie Warwick and Sally Houston
• Patsy Pattie and Kim Harkness
Big Burns Supper will be profiling each of them on Facebook in the coming days.
Tickets are still available for both Strictly for Charity performances, which take place at Easterbrook Hall on 19 and 20 February.
To sponsor any of the dancers contact Michael on [email protected] or through Easterbrook.
Photos credit Graham Edwards
