Danny McMurtry, Brett Joneson and Vikki Carlson started “Dancing With the Stars” in 2016. The program was built to fundraise for scholarships for North Platte middle school students, however the program ended in 2019 due to COVID-19.

After many years, the program was brought back under the name, “Dancing With the Local Stars,” with Terri Burchell and Carlson taking the lead, along with Jamie Mendenhall, Sue Johnson and Shae Caldwell.

“I had a community member approach me and say she would participate if we brought it back,” Burchell said. Along with the middle school scholarship, they are also “fun”raising for the Prepared to Learn Fund.

“The Foundation was able to provide coats, hats, glasses, clothing, food and toiletry/ hygiene items that totaled over $4,500 last school year,” Burchell said. “This doesn’t include those students who have access to the school food pantry.”

There is a rising need for programs like this in the North Platte Public School District.

“In October enrollment at North Platte Public Schools District (NPPSD) was 3,528 students and 61% of those students met the criteria for low to moderate income families,” Burchell said.

There will be five different couples performing at the competition, all competing to win the Disco Ball Trophy. Couples include Tiffany Johnson and Nathan Vieyra with Butch Lehmkuhler as their choreographer, “Big” Dan Koehler and Sonja Voycheske with Janna Ryan as their choreographer, Hannah Hokanson and Jeremiah Johnson with Krystal Miller and Tallyn Simpson as their choreographer, Chris Bruns and Dalene Skates with Dr. Bryon Barksdale as their choreographer, and Chance Schilling and Jennifer Jacobson with Debbie Berry as their choreographer.

The event will be held at the North Platte High School Performing Arts Center at 6:30 p.m.

If you cannot attend, Burchell added, “You can see their skills on the North Platte Public School Foundation YouTube channel.”