The dust has settled. Spray tans have faded, nerves have stopped jangling and eight pairs of special dancing shoes are nestled back into their flannel bags in their respective closets.
The 2023 Boca Ballroom Battle is over.
But hardly forgotten.
In fact, this year’s live showcase event to benefit the George Snow Scholarship Fund shattered all previous years’ fundraising totals—raising $1.2 million. Let’s say it again: $1.2 million in one night at one event.
“Our ‘Statement Eight’ community dancers raised more money—through 1,000 individual donations to our dancers—for the George Snow Scholarship Fund than ever before in the 16-year history of the event,” says George Snow CEO Tim Snow.
This year’s fundraising winners were Dr. Patricio Espinosa, who raised more than $200,000 and Danielle Rosse (who broke the all-time fundraising record), raising more than $300,000.
“This year’s event was truly a team effort with each dancer giving it everything they had, on the dance floor and in their fund-raising efforts,” says Snow, “We are so very grateful to each dancer; Shoshana Davidowitz, Dr. Patricio Espinosa, Caroline Johnson, Lawrence Levy, Danielle Rosse, Jamie Sauer, Rick Versace and Brad Winstead and everyone who supported their amazing journeys.”
This event not only raises more money each year; it also gets ratcheted up in terms of number of attendees, amenities (this year there was a fancy pants private bar for alumni), and general showmanship. Much of that credit goes to the owners of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Boca Raton, James Brann and Sayra Vazquez, who work tirelessly with the community dancers on a routine that is entertaining and (thankfully) doable.
It’s tempting for me to say, “I remember when,” thinking of the first Ballroom Battle 13 some years ago, a modest event in the atrium of a local office building. In such a short time it has become a must-do, must-support event in the city. And the community has now pushed its fundraising beyond a million dollars, money that will reshape the lives of so many underserved and deserving scholars.
Here’s to the dancers who made this happen this year—every one of you—and the good people of Boca Raton who supported them.
For more photographs taken the night of the event please click here.
