Oliver

slideshow

Abbi Overfelt

Staff writer

LUMBERTON — Those who want to watch the superintendent of Public Schools of Robeson County, a past “American Idol” contestant or a former Miss North Carolina don dancing shoes in March and shake a leg should buy tickets to the United Way’s second annual Dancing With the Robeson County Stars as soon they go on sale on Monday.

“Tables are going to go like hotcakes,” said Sandra Oliver, the executive director of the United Way. “If everybody waits for the $1,000 tables, there will be a lot of people disappointed.”

On Monday, 10 front-row tables at a cost of $3,000 each will become available until Oct. 19; second-row tables will be on sale from Oct. 22 to Nov. 2 for $2,000 each; and the third-row tables will be available beginning Nov. 5 at a cost of $1,000 each.

There are 50 tables for sale at the event, set for March 22 and 23, which raises money for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a program that distributes a book per month to county children. Last year’s event raised $180,000.

Johnny Hunt, the superintendent of the Public Schools of Robeson County, Rebecca Revels Lowry, a former Miss North Carolina, and Victoria Huggins, a former “American Idol” constestant, are among the 30 dancers who have signed up for the event. Also taking the stage will be Bruce Mullis; Kellie Blue; Pedro “Tito” Massol; Richard Monroe; Dr. Daniel Walters; Emmett Brown; Gary Patrick; Patrick Cummings; Rick Gregory; Joseph Martin; Zavery McDougald; Don Ward; Leland Fuller; Johnny Robinson; Kenny Biggs; Harry Warriax; Carolyn Floyd-Robinson; Jenifer Hickman; Tammy Deese; Ruby Jackson; Carolyn Watson; Alicia Green Moody; Cheryl Page; Dr. Robin Peace; Brooke Britt; Olivia Oxendine; Victoria Lowry Hunt; Tina Bullard; Melissa Wober; and Lauren Miller.

“We sold our tables from last year’s dancing with the stars before Thanksgiving and we never advertised them,” Oliver said. “Then we sold tickets to the rehearsal. The dancers never had a rehearsal, because they had 450 people sitting in the audience. So we’re doing two nights this year.”

Voting for the event will begin on Nov. 1.

Oliver’s goal is to have enough money to provide books to 11,000 county children. The cost is $30 to sponsor a child for a year.

“Reading is the key to everything,” Oliver said. “If you can’t read you can’t do math, you can’t do science … in today’s world it’s pretty hard to function if you can’t read.”

To purchase a table or donate to the program, call the United Way at 739-4249.