Naron to Represent Oxford Boys & Girls Club in ‘Dance Like the Stars’ Fundraiser

While the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi are gearing up for the 10th annual Dance Like the Stars fundraising event to take place on Aug. 22, the L.O.U. Barksdale Clubhouse representative, Katie Naron, is perfecting her ballroom technique and busying herself with fundraising campaigns.

Katie Naron

“It’s very much a journey and a learning experience,” Naron said with a laugh. “I haven’t danced since my high school days!”

The Dancing Like the Stars community event raises funds for the Boys & Girls Club of North Mississippi, which includes Chickasaw, Lafayette, Lee, Tippah and Union Counties. Each area clubhouse selects a “local celebrity” to represent them in a grand gala event held at the BancorpSouth Center. The local celebrities are partnered with professional instructors from The Dance Studio in Tupelo and learn a ballroom dance routine to perform at the event.

Naron and her partner, Daniel Stevenson, will perform the Cha-Cha. “I’ve had six lessons so far,” Naron said. “I’m out of my comfort zone a little bit, but this is a great experience for me.”
An Oxford resident for the last 15 years, Naron is an elementary education reading instructor for the University of Mississippi. She previously taught fourth grade at Davidson Elementary School in Water Valley and is a huge supporter of literacy education. “I have a strong desire to continue to improve education programs in Mississippi, especially those that serve underprivileged children,” she said.

When asked to represent the L.O.U. Barksdale Clubhouse at the Dance Like the Stars event, Naron happily accepted. “A friend of mine is the assistant principal at Lafayette Elementary School, and she encouraged me to take this on,” Naron said. “I’m looking forward to supporting the Boys & Girls Club in both my performance and through the fundraising effort that the competition entails.”

The local celebrity raising the most funds is awarded the Grand Champion Award at the gala. A panel of local celebrity judges then selects first-, second- and third–place winners for the Judges Choice Category.

Naron has a goal of raising $20,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of North Mississippi, and to help raise the funds, she and the Oxford clubhouse are hosting a “Southern Sunday Supper” at Woodson Ridge Farms on Aug. 2 at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $40 per person and are currently on sale at Trustmark Bank and Oxford Floral Co. Tickets may also be purchased at the door on the day of the event.
Donations of any amount can be made online by clicking here to vote for Katie. Through July 24, an anonymous donor has offered to matching funds raised up to $10,000.

Tickets to the Dance Like the Stars 2015 gala can be purchased here.

About the L.O.U. Barksdale Clubhouse

The L.O.U Barksdale Clubhouse offers after-school and summer educational programs to 140 school-aged children in Lafayette County each weekday. Funds raised through the Dance Like the Stars event will go toward day-to-day operating and educational experiences for the club and the children it serves. For more information, visit the L.O.U. Barksdale Clubhouse link on the Boys & Girls Club of North Mississippi website.

Beth Harmon is managing editor for HottyToddy.com. Email her at beth.harmon@hottytoddy.com.