Sierra Lutheran teacher competes in 'Gotta Dance' competition
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Fri, 03/11/2016 - 12:48pm
Event Date:
March 18, 2016 (All day) Sierra Lutheran High School educator J.P. Albert wears many hats - Spanish teacher, P.E. teacher, and assistant football coach. But this Spring, J.P. is also lacing up his dancing shoes. Partnered with Tracey Muetzenberg, J.P. is competing in Suicide Prevention Network of Douglas County’s Gotta Dance Competition.
The competition is an annual fundraiser in the style of the popular ABC show, Dancing With the Stars. In this case, the “stars” are members of the community who are willing to commit time and effort to learn a dance number with a local dance instructor. On March 18th, ten couples will take the stage, all for the charity’s sake.
After he was asked to compete, Albert admits he had some reservations: “I thought there has to be somebody better, or more important, to do this than me - how did I get chosen?” Albert will be performing a swing-style dance to “Hit the Road Jack.”
He explained that he is enjoying the process. “I know what I’m working towards, but I probably won’t grasp all that it means until the night of the event. I have had friends take their lives, and in a way, I guess I am dancing for them. I look forward to seeing how this event impacts people who have used these services, or could use them even now.” But for J.P., the competition is not the end of his support for the cause.
“The best part is that I now have more knowledge and more awareness about this issue. As a high school teacher, when I see students struggle, I now know where to find resources for them.”
The Gotta Dance event is the Suicide Prevention Network of Douglas County’s primary fundraiser. Each dancer is competing for a trophy based on the judges’ scores and on the monies they have raised, called “Dancing Dollars.” A limited amount of tickets are still available.
To purchase tickets, contact Suicide Prevention Executive Director Debbie Posnien at 783-1510. Online voting and donating is available at www.spnawareness.org. All money raised stays within the local community of Douglas County.
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