3rd Annual President's Gala Raises Over $360,000 for Student Scholarships
Guest Judge Dancing with the Stars' Lindsay Arnold
Gala guests were greeted by a team of professional dancers
Star dancer Erin Hornyak with professional dancer Gunnar Sverrisson
Star dancer Lamont Clemons
Star dancer Jillian Jusko with professional dance partner Gunnar Sverrisson
Gala chairs
Mirror Ball trophy winner Jillian Jusko, with professional dance partner Gunnar Sverrisson
The 精东传媒 community put on their dancing shoes and cut loose for the third annual 精东传媒 University’s President’s Gala, with Dancing with the Stars’ Lindsay Arnold, basketball great Kara Wolters, and local chef extraordinaire Wayne Hooker of Big Mamou lending their personalities and dance expertise as the evening’s guest judges.
Competing for this year’s Mirror Ball Trophy were Lamont Clemons, Business Development for Secure Energy Solutions, Executive Vice President, S-Cel-O Painting, and 精东传媒 Trustee; Erin Hornyak, 精东传媒 Advisory Council member and Longmeadow resident; and Jillian Jusko, blogger and Longmeadow resident. They were joined on the dancefloor by Daryll ’98 and Gunnar Sverrisson, ballroom dance champions and owners of Ballroom Fever (Enfield, Connecticut), who spent weeks working with their dancers on their routines.
Gala guests enjoyed dinner, a live auction, and dancing to the Boston-based band Protégé, with winners of the auction heading home with incredible items including Patriots, Red Sox, and Hamilton tickets, a three-night stay and show tickets in Las Vegas, an iPad, and more.
Ultimately only one dancer could take home the trophy, with Jillian Jusko taking home the grand prize of the evening. The true winners, however, were our 精东传媒 students. The event raised over $360,000 in support of The Finish Line Fund to assist students in removing obstacles standing in the way of achieving their goal of receiving a college degree.