Sen. Hwang Dancing to Raise Funds for Fairfield Non-Profit Inspire Inc.

Inspire Inc.’s debut fundraiser, “A Chance to Dance,” will take place Sept. 26 at the Patterson Club Ballroom.

FAIRFIELD – As a state Senator, Tony Hwang is accustomed to delivering speeches in front of crowds – often with off the cuff remarks. On Sept. 26, he’ll have to hope that ability to be quick on his feet transfers to the dance floor.

Sen. Hwang will be one of six community celebrities participating in “A Chance to Dance,” the debut fundraiser for Fairfield-based Inspire Inc.

Founded by Fairfield residents Nancy Billington and Lauren Lanham with the slogan “Change Your Mind,” Inspire Inc. strives to enhance the quality of life in the community by presenting educational programs that reduce stress and improve coping strategies. They are currently working with Fairfield Public Schools, the Fairfield Police Department and the Fairfield Senior Center, with a growing roster of clients that includes businesses and other community nonprofits.

“We ourselves are inspired by the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve gotten from the community, and we’re incredibly appreciative of the support from Senator Hwang and our other local celebrities and dancers who have given so generously of their time and talents,” Billington and Lanham said. “We’re looking forward to a fun evening at our debut fundraiser and hope it is a huge success so that we can meet the growing needs of the community we live in and love.”

“A Chance to Dance” is essentially a local version of ABC’s hit show, Dancing with the Stars. It will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Patterson Club Ballroom.

While it’s all about having fun and supporting a good cause, the pairs will also be competing for bragging rights. The pairs are as follows:

• Phillip Bettencourt (Youth Choir Director) & Abby Root (Artistic Director)
• Christopher Clark (Sanddollar Development) & Anastasia Zhitova (Fred Astaire Norwalk)
• Maggie Ford (Volunteer/Décor Stylist) & Manuel Trillo (Fred Astaire Norwalk)
• Tony Hwang (State Senator) & Anna Belyavsteva (Fred Astaire Norwalk)
• Mary Jo McAvey (Realtor) & Dmitry Krasnyanskiy (Ballroom Elegance Westport)
• Alida Ward (Reverend, Greenfield Hill Church) & Lauren Lanham (Former Professional Dancer)

The pair with the most votes from the audience will take home the People’s Choice Award, and the Mirror Ball Trophy will go to the pair with the highest score from the judges. The judges are:

• Bobby Valentine (Athletic Director, Sacred Heart University)
• Carole Schweid (Artistic Director, Play With Your Food)
• Charles Allen (Chaplain, Fairfield University)
• Bill Brennan will be the Master of Ceremonies

The People’s Choice voting has a fun twist. Each vote costs $1 and anyone can vote as many times as they want. So the more votes each pair gets, the more money they raise for Inspire Inc.

“Dancing may not be my strong suit, as my instructor Anna will attest, but I am quickly learning our routine and looking forward to putting on a fun show,” Sen. Hwang said. “Most importantly, I am proud to support Nancy and Lauren and the incredibly important mental health work they are doing in our community through their new organization, Inspire Inc.”

For more information about Inspire Inc. and the A Chance to Dance fundraiser, please visit www.inspireinc.org.