Strictly Dumfries Dancers Take Part in Burns Street Carnival
Big Burns Supper has announced that it is teaming up with Strictly for Charity (Dumfries) to raise funds for local good causes in 2016.
In 2004 the former businessman Michael Pattie and his wife Patsy began organising a Strictly-style contest, which features well-known local people and dance instructors, to raise funds for charities working in the region.
The 2014 event was meant to be the last but the two-day extravaganza is now back due to popular demand and will be a fabulous spectacle featuring nine dancing couples and five group acts.
Over the years the Pattie’s efforts have secured £300,000 for good causes and it’s hoped that the partnership with Big Burns Supper will help boost the figure further.
Dancers will take part in the Burns Carnival on 24 January and collections will be carried out at Spiegeltent shows during the BBS festival which runs from 22 to 30 January.
There will also be opportunities to sponsor the dancers via the Big Burns Supper Facebook page and website.
Graham Main, Big Burns Supper Artistic Director, said: “We really admire the work being done by Michael and Patsy and Strictly Dumfries. It has made a real difference to many people’s lives and we want to do all we can to offer our support.
“As two of southern Scotland’s biggest and most colourful winter events it’s great to be teaming up for the benefit of the community.”
The money raised will be donated to the 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 of the charities will be creating its own lantern for the street carnival.
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.
The dancing couples in the 2016 event are:
• Jamie McLennan and Frances Forsyth
• Nicole Hamlet and Davie Thomson
• Phil Cubbin and Cherie Kelly
• Lee Medd and Linda Stewart
• Ross Hyslop and Debbie Mitchell
• Alison Ball and Bruce Carr
• Mark Alexander and Morag Graham
• Eddie Warwick and Sally Houston
• Patsy Pattie and Kim Harkness
Mr Pattie said: “We are delighted to be named this year as the partner charity for The Big Burns Supper 2016.
“Both BBS and our ‘Strictly for Charity’ events are massive and much anticipated community events and for us to join forces this year is very exciting.
“To help bring fun entertainment and pleasure to the people of Dumfries and in so doing benefit our six named most worthy charities is a win win situation. We look forward to a fun time together in January.”
Tickets for the main event, at Easterbrook Hall on 20 February, have already sold out but a few spaces are still available for the preview show on the 19th.
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