Moves for mental health: Dancing With the Stars an annual fundraiser
A gym owner, a Realtor, an interior designer, a filmmaker and a property developer walk into a bar … and do the tango?
Bet you didn’t see that coming.
Neither did they.
Last summer, five “local celebrities” were tapped to compete in Dancing With the Sioux Falls Stars, the second annual fundraiser for local nonprofit Empire Mental Health Support, being held Saturday night at The District.
Since the invite, all five participants and their professional partners have been rehearsing jazz, some waltz, “something poppy” and maybe even some freestyle for the big night.
There may be stunts? But there will definitely be sequins.
“This will be the night of my dreams,” says Phyllis Arends, board treasurer for Empire Mental Health Support. She helped to begin the mental wellness advocacy troupe four years ago, which raised around $60,000 for last year’s fundraiser. “The event is so gorgeous and meaningful. It’s a dressy, intimate affair, everybody has a good time talking to one another.
“I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it! It’s so magical.”
As is the work of Empire Mental Health Support.
Before EMHS, Arends worked with NAMI Sioux Falls for two decades. Dancing With the Sioux Falls Stars was a successful fundraiser for NAMI as well. When their local chapter shut down in 2020, Arends saw to it that the work ― and the dancing ― went on.
“We still needed that level of mental health support in the community,” said Arends, a retired nurse who touts her prima networking skills and collaborations among a tight-knit community here in Sioux Falls as tools to see EMHS to fruition. “I really just want to help people understand their worth in this community and that they are not out there alone.”
A personal story for an intimate cause
Empire Mental Health Support offers free services ― like weekly support groups, educational programming and connections to local professionals ― provided by people who also live with mental illnesses or are the loved ones for people who do.
They are a “determined” board of eight volunteer members who serve as advocates in our community and as confidants for an invisible illness that’s equally in need.
“Everybody has somebody they know who is dealing with their mental health,” said CJ Wehrkamp, one of the competition’s local celebrities and owner of FitBody Boot Camp. He says he will have clients often use the gym merely as a healing outlet for both their physical and mental well-being. “I have even had clients tell us one of the reasons they are still living is because of our gym community.”
Arends says that each contestant of the competition will talk about their personal connections to mental illness and the importance of speaking out.
“Our dance tells a story of losing someone,” says Tara Allen, CEO of Allen Edge Real Estate Team and will compete with professional dancer Clinton Store. Just this past summer, Allen lost her brother, who also struggled with his mental health, from an unexpected accident.
“Clinton and I have both lost people to mental health,” she said. “This process has been like therapy for me, it couldn't have been better timing.”
Arends estimates there are over 40,000 community members in Sioux Falls with a formal mental health diagnosis, but so few of them are unaware of support services or are reluctant to actually seek treatment.
“When you go through these things, you’re not always well-received in the community,” Arends said. “We want the Sioux Empire region to be a more welcoming and comfortable place for people whose lives are touched by mental illness.”
This effort includes not only making connections between a service and a community member but also advocating for existing services, like Southeastern or Avera behavioral health centers, that they receive proper funding and support.
“There’s just such a need here,” said Sarah DeWitt, local interior designer and co-owner of DeWitt Designs. She’ll be performing on Saturday with local professional dancer Tony Bartholomaus. “But, as it is in many illnesses, there’s also such a variety of ways to help somebody. It hits everybody differently, so it’s difficult to maintain a self-sustaining program that would work for everybody.
“What we are doing here is one small step to help, but it’s still a step,” she says.
Advocating for something 'bigger than ourselves'
Our local celebrities were chosen partly because of their success and outreach in the community ― DeWitt has been serving both regional and national client homes for well over 30 years; Wehrkamp’s successful “Fit & Healthy” podcast streams weekly; Allen’s real estate team just hit a milestone of serving 2,000 families over the past decade; videographer Vince Danh just completed his Mission 100 goal of serving over 100 businesses within one year; and real estate developer Nate Welch recently made a big change from finance and government.
“But we don’t have to talk about that here,” Welch said. “We are all so identified by what we do, reputation is so huge in Sioux Falls. And then when you make a career change, you often have to think about how you want to talk about that, but what’s so beautiful about this event is that we don’t have to advocate for our work or for ourselves.
“This one isn’t about me, and it’s one of the reasons I’m so honored to be a part of it.”
Addie Graham-Kramer, owner of The Event Company who is helping to host the fundraiser and dance competition, said it’s an equal honor to work with Arends and the EMHS mission.
“To be seen and to be heard is so important through the work that EMHS does,” Graham-Kramer said. “One of my favorite parts is that community leaders from all walks of life will come together just to raise awareness for mental health education.”
A learning experience for the competitors
Wehrkamp said he had never danced before this big event. “Maybe at wedding dances!”
His gym is not a ballroom, but right now the ballroom is his gym, and he is so invested in this opportunity to serve his community.
“I find myself driving in my car and just thinking about our dance,” Wehrkamp says, who will be dancing with professional Magen Richeal. “Magan is putting all this together for us. I want to make sure I do well for her!”
Welch does have some performance background, as a former mascot for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and some nationwide theater tours since then, but there is still intimidation for him.
“Being on stage is not the scary part,” said Welch, who will be performing with reigning mirrorball trophy winner McKenzie Kock and said he’s even been practicing dance moves with his family in their kitchen. “Dancing with talent like this and for such a good cause, that’s the nerve-wracking part. I only have these dance moves to tell a story.”
Local videographer and business co-owner Vince Danh, too, has some experience having once learned ballroom dancing from his godmother as a teenager. He and his professional dance partner, Stephanie Kessler, have bonded thus far on their unique music choice.
“I’ve never had the courage to go up and dance on a stage, but I look forward to when we have our practices together,” Danh said. “We have a lot of fun with this, I just want it to be true to ourselves.”
As a well-known interior designer, DeWitt prioritized her focus for the competition on costume design, colors and presentation ― “I’m going to have the coolest dress!” ― while her partner choreographed “an art form” that reflects her personality.
“He read me so well,” DeWitt said. “I love it. I feel comfortable, and I’m enjoying it. I really am.”
And what about Phyllis?
“Oh, I am no good!” she says. “I do not like making a fool of myself on the dance floor. I am just ‘Hostess with the Mostest’ and will make sure everyone has a good time and feels appreciated.”
The Saturday charity event expects around 300 guests, who will surround a “round style” dance floor underneath the spotlights. Judges will decide a winner at the end.
“They’re going to be almost part of the audience in some respects,” Arends said. “It’s going to be really, really special this year.”
