“A smooth waltz,” Maurine Michaud says wistfully, making a small noise of contentment as she stares out into her room at Phillips-Strickland House. The space is comfortable, with a cozy rocker situated neatly in the corner by a window.
Photos of her family are on the walls. Here is her daughter. There she is at a wedding. In the center is a son, and below is a grandson.
She loves to reminisce and tell stories about her younger days. She believes in keeping memories alive.
And she believes in dancing.
Michaud is one of many residents at Phillips-Strickland House, a nonprofit residential care center offering independence to residents. The facility will be on the receiving end of funds raised at a dancing event, “Dancing for the Stars Fundraiser, A Red Carpet Evening.” Organizers are hoping for a triumphant return for the fundraising event that hasn’t been held for the past few years. It starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at Morgan Hill Event Center in Hermon.
The event’s six “stars” include Buffie McCue, assistant director for athletic advancement at the University of Maine; Sarah Smiley, local writer and columnist; Kate Hills, real estate agent with ERA Dawson Bradford Co.; Dr. David Koffman of St. Joseph Internal Medicine; Dr. Peter Ver Lee of Northeast Cardiology Associates; and Philip Henry of Canuck Investments LLC. They have been paired up with dancers from the UMaine dance department for a night of dancing, from swing and hip-hop to salsa and celtic soft shoe.
Dancers from UMaine include Katherine Keaton, who will be performing with Philip Henry; Scott Downs, who will be performing with Kate Hills; Caitlynn Davenport, who will be performing with Dr. Peter Ver Lee; Ian Raugh, who will be performing with Sarah Smiley; Mallory Osborne, who will be performing with Dr. David Koffman; and Fredrick Sawyer, who will performing with Buffie McCue.
“The dancers from the University of Maine — they are professionals. It’s really gracious of them to give their time and effort because it’s not easy. It’s hard work. They put in a lot of time and effort to do this, so we really appreciate them giving their time and energies to us to hold this fundraiser,” Gale Longo, a corporator of Phillips-Strickland House and organizer of the event, said.
The emcee for the night will be Ric Tyler of WVOM, and the festivities will include a silent auction, featuring everything from UMaine hockey tickets to a night at the Hollywood Casino Hotel.
Tickets to the event are $45 each or $320 for a table of eight and go toward votes for favorite dancers. The audience will decide who will be crowned the victor.
The fundraising will benefit the residents of Phillips-Strickland House, who enjoy the comforts of a place that feels like home.
“A lot of our residents — 85 percent of them — are covered by MaineCare, so we like to provide more services than regulations require and, consequently, we need to fundraise to be able to provide those services. Some are activities we do and another is the daily living we provide here,” Wayne Woodford, executive director and administrator of Phillips-Strickland House, said.
Michaud, who loves a smooth waltz more than anything, has never had the chance to attend the event and finds that with age she has lost her ability to dance, so her words of wisdom for dancers today are simple: “You have to enjoy it.”
For information about the event, visit pshouse.org/dancing-for-the-stars.html.
