Crisis Center event raises $280,000

The Crisis Center of West Texas was the winner on Saturday during Dancing with the West Texas Stars with more than $280,000 raised.

The West Texas Stars and their professional dance partners wowed the crowd with a little bit of everything — from ballroom to cha-cha to modern.

Executive Director Karen Pieper Hildebrand said via email that the event will help the Crisis Center all year long.

“We had a great turnout,” she said in the email. About 850 people attended the fourth annual Dancing with the West Texas Stars.

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“This event provides a portion of the operating costs for the only shelter in Odessa that provides services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children.”

The local “Stars” are paired with an instructor from a local dance studio and they perform to win in the categories of Best Male Dancer, Best Female Dancer, Best Costume and Most Entertaining. The grand prize is the award of a giant mirror ball trophy which goes to the dancer who raised the most money for Crisis Center of West Texas.

This year’s winners are:

• Best Costume: Justin Carrigan (UTPB head football coach) with partner Janet Ansley from Elegance Ballroom in Midland.
• Most Entertaining: Catherine Daniels (a community volunteer) with partner Enrique Romero from Love to Dance Studios in Odessa.
• Best Male Dancer: Blake Batte (CEO, Orrex) with partner Kelsey Bourg Tanner with Elegance Ballroom in Midland.
• Best Female Dancer: Mallory Langford (OHS curriculum specialist) with partner Michael Greenwell from Elegance Ballroom in Midland.
• Grand Prize winner: Gus Ortega with ONCOR with partner Libby Sharp from Elegance Ballroom in Midland. Ortega raised more than $40,000 for the agency. Overall, the event raised $280,000 for operational costs for Crisis Center of West Texas.

The Crisis Center of West Texas provides free services to individuals affected by domestic and sexual violence (including both intimate partner and stranger related assaults). They provide shelter, counseling, crisis intervention and advocacy to help build lives free of violence.