Villagers Randy and Kathy Stachel used an Argentine Tango and Lindy Hop to win the title in “Dancing With Our Stars 3.”
It all happened Tuesday at a sold-out La Hacienda Recreation Center to help raise funds for The Villages Dollars for Scholars.
The Stachels came from Pittsburgh and have been dancing together for 42 years.
“They were great but we had no losers tonight,” said J.R. “Jim” Zurak. “We’ve raised over $430,000 for local scholarships and have helped 160 students.”
“Dancing With Our Stars” has turned into a popular event for the Dollars for Scholars. Tuesday’s crowd was estimated at 300.
“I’m not surprised,” Zurak said. “Dancing is one of the most popular activities in The Villages. We sell out these shows every year, and we’re doing it all to help kids.”
This year’s contestants included three other Villagers’ couples: Rey and Jeanette Arceo, Brent and Jo-ann Hall, and Mark Steven Schmidt and Dr. Linda Succi.
The winners were selected by a group of judges, and, also, audience participation. The judges were Geri Conrad, Scott Roberts, Suzanne Crosby and Don Wyman.
Last year, Rey and Consuelo Inovero, of the Village of Woodbury, danced their way to victory. And Villagers Jim and Carolyn Hutchens won the inaugural competition in 2017.
Tony Violanti is a veteran journalist and writes for Villages-News.com.
