Event Highlight: Easter Seals, Dancing with The Stars
Last November, I attended the fifth annual Easter Seals, Dancing with The Stars fundraising event in Hamilton, Ontario. There were 700 attendees, it was the largest event I had been to in years and certainly that I had seen in Hamilton.
Easter Seals Ontario is a leading provider of programs and services for Ontario children and youth with physical disabilities. This event is a hugely successful fundraiser that raises money to help send kids to two fully accessible summer camps. These camps provide an environment where physical barriers are removed, and kids with disabilities are not made to feel different so they can develop a stronger sense of self and independence. I recently visited one of the camps, Camp Woodeden.
While sitting in the room at the event last year, I listened to many of the Easter Seals ambassadors’ as they took the stage and shared their stories. At this time, I was in a place in my own motherhood experience where I felt a lot of hopelessness. My children have some challenges, however, they present neurotypical. They were struggling in school and at home, and I could not find a doctor who would listen to me to get a diagnosis. The speeches I listened to from the folks and kids who had experienced these Easter Seals camps, they made me feel like, although different circumstances, there was hope for me and my family. That no matter what happened, it would be possible for us to experience life and joy, and to not feel othered. Although my children do not have physical disabilities, I could see pieces of us in the stories. I was so moved by one of the stories I had to excuse myself from my table and take a moment to pull myself together.
“You know the feeling when you realize a dream is no longer a dream? This is exactly how my Easter Seals friends feel when they attend camp every summer.”
Fast forward, earlier this Spring I said yes when I was asked to be one of eight celebrity dancers for this years Dancing with the Stars event. I am so humbled to be participating in such an important and heart centred event. Admittedly, I’m slightly terrified about the dancing part of the role, but I saw this as a growth opportunity. I have been paired with professional dancer, Jesse Valvasori owner of the Ballroom Hamilton. For about 10 weeks, 8 couples will be in training to learn choreography for 2 dance routines which we will perform at the event and compete not only through the dance, but also our fundraising goals.
Why did I say yes? Well, both my partner and I have children with special needs, and we now co-found an event for people with disabilities called, A Chance to Dance. But also, the past three years have been a very difficult time in my life. I have had to heal myself and my children through unimaginable loss that most people will never have to, fight and advocate for disabilities that to most, are invisible. What happened to us comes with a lot of layers and trauma, and I have had to rebuild my life from the ground up while working through a long and intensive diagnosis process with my children. I am currently writing my first book, a personal memoir on healing after trauma. A story I hope people will be able to see themselves in, relate to, and that it can serve as someone else’s survival guide. For me, the dance signifies making it to the other side. It is the final stop on my healing journey. Which is why I have decided to tell my story through the dance. I want my children to be able to watch their mother do something outside of her comfort zone and for it to matter. And they are very invested! I’ve even brought them to some of our rehearsals.
Although the event is super entertaining and there is a lot of emphasis on the dance piece, this is a huge fundraiser. It costs $2,500 to send one kid to camp for a week. Some equipment like a power chair can cost $35,000 which is the equivalent of a car. The camp offers programs such as swimming, arts and crafts, pottery, music, drama, life skills and sports such as sledge hockey, archery, wheelchair basketball, lacrosse, badminton, a nature trail with Yurts for overnight sleep-outs and a fully accessible high ropes challenge course. At Easter Seals Camp Woodeden, campers expand their leadership abilities through a variety of creative arts programs and multi-sports activities. The camp is run by a staff of 68, which includes a team of 3 registered nurses and 3 health care assistants.
I met Casey MacKay recently, and when he shared his story I was so inspired by him. It’s his warmth and light that I found so captivating. Casey has a disability called Cerebral Palsy, he has faced many challenges in his life but he now uses his story to help other people. Casey says he wants to help other people like him have the success and connection he found at the camps. And this is why we both wanted to sit down together and have a conversation. Because the more awareness we can create as a collective, the more people we can help! Casey is an ambassador for Easter Seals, he has attended camps, he has been staff at the camps and he is now actively involved in speaking and attending as many Easter Seals events as possible. He is an example of the power behind the camps and how a sense of belonging can literally change the trajectory of someone’s life.
Join us on Friday, November 15, 2024 at Carmen’s Event Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. Please support me by donating and coming out to the event. Tickets can be purchased for $150 which includes a four course meal, open bar & dance competition (or $1,000 for a table of 8). Every $20 donated counts as one vote. When you buy tickets or tables please mention you are supporting me so you’ll be seated in my cheering section.
And for your entertainment, keep your eyes on my social media platforms over the next couple of months for dance training updates (lol).
Social links on this blog:
@dallas.lombardi
@caseymackay
@jesse.valvasori
@eastersealson
@campwoodeden