Dancing With Our Stars

For the past five years, or so, Paducah, KY has held a fundraiser called Dancing With Our Stars to benefit Cancer Research. They ask members of the community to partner with a professional dancer and perform a routine. Kirk's brother, Gary, and his wife, Glenda, attended the event last year. They enjoyed it so much they decided to take dance lessons and this year participated in the event. It was a lot of fun and the event raised $132,000.

Before the dancers performed they had a special dance for cancer survivors. As we sat there Kirk said, "Well you are a cancer survivor." It took me by surprise as I don't think of myself as a cancer survivor. Yes, I did have stage 4 melanoma when I was 20, but they removed it and I didn't have any cancer treatments as the skin around the tumor was clear. I went every 6 months for five years for check-ups with no recurrence. When I think of cancer survivors I think of those who have been to hell and back with treatments that declared them cancer free. So it was interesting to think of myself as a cancer survivor, but I am. So Kirk asked me to dance, and we did. Glenda snapped a picture on her iPhone. (Sorry I couldn't get it any bigger.)

Following are more pictures of the event.

Marsha, Aunt Robbie, Aunt Barbara and me.

Gary & Glenda. They were awesome in their respective dances!

Kirk and Gary dancing after the performances when we were invited to dance with the dancers and professionals.

They also held a silent auction. Kirk and his brother, Ed, found something they said I just had to have. It was a Debbie Brooks purse. For those of you wondering why I had to have it, well...my maiden name was Brooks and for most of my life I was known as Debbie Brooks, until my beloved husband shortened my name to Deb. So they bid on it and got it (thanks to Ed standing close by as the bidding was ending). Such a fun night!