Kids of Erath County are ultimately the big winners as $208,000 was raised for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Erath County with its annual Dancing for the Stars event held Thursday, Oct. 30 in the Tarleton Ballroom.
The sold out black-tie evening was full of glitz, glam and fun as a sense of deja vu took over the audience as they watched all star couple who had previously danced at another BBBS Dancing for the Stars.
Couples included Jeremy and Hillary McBroom, Randy and Renee Thompson, Lance and Shelley Gilliland and Donny and Brigit Hill.
The winners of the event are decided between 50% of the judges scores and 50% of how much money was raised for the nonprofit.
Team Thompson was declared the winners receiving a perfect score (all 10s) for their dancing and raising $87,077, a new record for a single team.
The event included several fundraising aspects including a game to win big prizes such as trips to Hawaii and Mexico, extra judges seats, a live auction and Point of Light where audience members pledge a certain amount of money.
During the event, the Match of the Year award was presented to Emily and Riley Baumberger.
“Last August I had the privilege of introducing a match that has since become one of the most inspiring,” Match Coordinator Stephanie Howard said. “From the moment I read about Barrett, I knew he was a really remarkable kid, someone who not only needed a ‘Big’ but someone extraordinairy. That’s exactly what he got, and in fact he got two of them.”
From taking him ice skating in Fort Worth to simply showing up to his games, the couple invested in the little boy.
“They show him what it means to be intentionally, and that’s my favorite kind of volunteer,” Howard said.
Howard said Emily and Riley have made a lasting impact, and she knows Barrett feels the same way every day.
Sarah McNeal Weaver also shared a story for Point of Light about one of her first matches from 15 years ago when a single mom reached out to her saying her son could use a male mentor.
“At this point we didn’t have a lot of male mentors, we were pretty bare bones,” she said. She met a guy that was a college student, who came to them and said I would like to mentor.
“He really didn’t know where his life was going, he just had some time on his hands and wanted to help,” Weaver said. “It was my first interview, and I messed everything up. I made him give me 12 reference checks because I kept messing them up.”
“I’m absolutely honored to share tonight’s Point of Light with you all. It’s going to capture the heart of what we do in Erath County, the children that we serve and what can happen if you invest your time and how you can change a child’s life,” she said.
Jake Gillispie, who is a deputy for the Erath County Sheriff’s Office, was the young man whose mom was seeking a male role model and Game Warden Dustin Fleming who is with a k-9 Unit in Fredricksburg was the college student seeking to give back.
“Going into this, I had no idea of the impact, and the long-lasting impact this would make on us. For you guys, this is just getting started. This is a journey that will continue for a long, long time,” Fleming said. “From babies being born to weddings to watching this guy grow, it has been my absolute honor and privilege to be a part of this. None of this happens without people who are committed to making a difference so hats off to Sarah and her program.”
Fleming also gave a shout out to Ms. Gillispie who was in the audience at the event supporting her son and Fleming.
“Just being a part of this has really changed my life, and if you are out here tonight and you are thinking, ‘well I just don’t know if I have the time.’ That small amount of time you do have can make a longlasting impact.”
In the beginning, Jake had told his mom he wanted a better male role model in his life, and she signed him up at the age of 12 for Big Brothers, Big Sisters in Erath County.
He recounted meeting Dustin in the beginning, and being nervous and unsure at first.
“But then when Dustin and I began hanging out, it was just meant to be,” Jake said. “I couldn’t to this day ask for anyone better to share that experience with.”
The duo have many memories together from going to Stephenville football games, playing pickup basketball, and now sharing careers in law enforcement.
Jake recalled a conversation when the duo and Dustin’s girlfriend went to at Cici’s pizza. Dustin asked Jake if he thought one day he would make a good husband and a good dad. Jake said he would.
“Here we are several years later, and Dustin has shown me what a dad should be, what a husband should be and that’s what I look up to. That’s my example,” Jake said.
Anyone interested in becoming a match through Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Erath County can email smcneal@bbbstx.org or go to bbbstx.org and search for WestCentral Texas.