Dancing with the Easter Seals returns to Barrie with remarks from celebrity guest judges
Some of Simcoe County's most familiar faces put their best foot forward Friday to help children with disabilities have a life-changing experience.
On Friday, Liberty North hosted the annual Dancing with Easter Seals' Stars event again. The gathering puts some prominent personalities' dance skills to the test, bringing in thousands for the organization that supports children and youth with disabilities.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
"This is a great cause for this amazing charity," said 16-year-old Shamil Sohail, an Easter Seals ambassador. "This money is going to send so many kids to camp; it's going to give so many kids the equipment that they need to reach their goals to the fullest."
Some local celebrities have been preparing their routines for weeks, matched up with professional dancers. Their moves will be judged by a roster of celebrity judges, including CTV News Barrie Senior Anchor Sarah Freemark.
The goal this year is to raise $110,000. Those funds go towards providing essential equipment for youth across Ontario facing various disabilities.
"For our Easter Seals kids, their equipment is their wheelchairs, their walkers and their commodes," said Charlene Myke, Easter Seals Ontario district manager. "Equipment is one word to some, but for them, it's their lifeline, and that only happens with events like this."
The dollars collected will also go towards sending Easter Seals youth to a life-changing camp, which will provide a unique and much-needed escape and sense of community.
"Some kids talk about Disney World [but] not our Easter Seal kids," said Myke. Our Easter Seal kids will tell it best: They get ten days away from their parents, and nobody tells them the word no!"
Sohail, an organization ambassador, has visited the camp before and is one of the approximately 600 who have registered to return this year.
"I'm looking forward to making new memories, getting to meet my new friends, getting to meet some old friends and making lifelong memories," Sohail said.
For more details on the event, held in communities across Ontario, click here.
With files from CTV's Mike Lang.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Almost 2 months after it destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge, the Dali cargo ship has been moved
The cargo ship Dali is being moved from the site of its catastrophic collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a crucial step toward fully reopening the busy Port of Baltimore.