The Baddour Center’s Dancing For Our Stars fundraising event brought in over $64,000 – a record in its seven year history.
Held at the Halloran Centre in Memphis, the annual event is modeled after the television show Dancing With the Stars and pairs local celebrities with dancers and/or choreographers; together, they not only put on a fun and entertaining show for guests but also raise awareness and funds for The Baddour Center.
This year, seven competing acts and one Baddour resident performance brought the stage to life, performing hits from Pop Icon artists.
Dancers included the following (in order of appearance at the show):
•Spice Girls – Mollie Spencer and the Junior Auxiliary of Tate and Panola Counties
•Britney Spears – Claire West and Carson Cook
•Elvis – Will Brown and Jelissa Myers
•Madonna – Austin and Liz Carroll
•Michael Jackson - Erin Billingsley and Parker King
•P!nk – Nick Eddlemon and Jill Morris
•Beyoncé – Sunny Baddour and Brooklyn Baddour
“Carson Cook and I have had the time of our lives! I scored a lifelong friendship with him and [am] so glad our paths crossed,” shared Claire West on Facebook following the event. “[We had] the absolute best time honoring The Baddour Center! The night, the people, the event, the laughs, [and] the dancers were absolutely awesome.”
Returning as emcee, Jim Jaggers brought liveliness and kept the banter going for dancers and the judges, who offered commentary on each performance while guests voted via a monetary collection basket or QR link to an online donation form. Judges were Stephanie Guckert, Jesse Munoz, Laura Nabors, and Baddour resident Andy.
Erin Billingsley and Parker King won trophies for the Best Dance, which was selected by the judging panel.
Will Brown and Jelissa Myers won trophies for the Crowd’s Choice, which was based on the number of votes ($1 equals one vote) brought in the night of the event, and Claire West and Carson Cook took home the trophy as the Overall Winner, which is based on raising the most money through votes and sponsorships before and during the show.
“The Baddour Center is truly the happiest place on Earth, and I am so happy to have represented them!” wrote Erin Billingsley on Facebook following the event.
New to the competition this year was the Best Costume Winner, which was also decided by the judges and awarded to Mollie Spencer and her fellow members of Junior Auxiliary of Tate and Panola County.
The Grand Finale performance to Taylor Swift was none other than a group of men and women who not only call The Baddour Center home but also make up a performing and creative movement group called Hearts In Motion.
While votes were tallied, guests witnessed special entertainment by Hot Foot Honeys, a professional Memphis area tap dance troupe.
“Residents aren’t just the stars of the show; they are the stars of everyday life at Baddour Center,” shared Parke Pepper, Executive Director for Baddour. “We are so appreciative of the community for embracing this event. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s success. We look forward to next year.”
The Baddour Center is dedicated to providing a model residential community for adults with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities and autism in an environment that promotes maximum growth intellectually, spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally, and vocationally.
For more information about The Center or to get involved in the 2025 Dancing For Our Stars event, contact Mary Dade Ford directly at 662.366.6930, by email at mford@baddour.org, or visit www.baddour.org.
