It was a night to remember. Twelve area couples showcased their smooth moves April 13 at the Glencoe City Center, as well as at streaming parties throughout the area. Their goal? To raise funds and have fun, which they accomplished raising a grand total of $330,335. This is more than double the amount of $141,488 raised in 2022. The money will be used by 2B CONTINUED for suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and humbly appreciative of the overall support for our mission," said Tammy Diehn, founder and executive director of 2B CONTINUED. "The many conversations about mental health initiated by the dancers during the fundraising process are priceless. In the end, the real winners of this event are the recipients of our education and outreach offerings.”
Earning moniker of grand champions and taking home the Mirrorball trophy were Mike and Sharon Lien of Hutchinson. Scott and Patti Bates of Green Isle were named first runner up and Zach and Amber Pierce of Hector were the second runner-up winners.
The annual gala featured couples from Brown, Carver, McLeod, Nicollet, Renville, Sibley and Wright counties. Each couple worked with a professional dance choreographer to learn a dance routine for this friendly competition. Since January, the couples began serving as ambassadors for 2B CONTINUED, fundraising for the organization and raising awareness about the nonprofit’s mission, through conversations, leading up to the event. Once again, it was a sold-out show with 600 people in attendance and 400-plus unique logins for the free livestream. There were also 16 official “Watch Parties” at area bar & restaurant and churches to view the virtual livestream.
Winners in each of the four categories of the competition were:
- Pre-event fundraising campaign: First place: Zach and Amber Pierce $47,100; second place: Mike and Shannon Lien $45,095 and third place: Scott and Patti Bates $33,716.
- Favorite Costume: First place: Troy and Kelly Higgins, Glencoe; second place: Cullen and Mandy Kennedy, St. Peter and third place: Mike and Shannon Lien.
- Judges’ Choice: Frist place: Mike and Shannon Lien; second place: Scott and Patti Bates and third place: Dan and Marja Sowers, New Ulm.
- People’s Choice: First place: Ryan and Shannon MulQueeny, Hutchinson, $8,460); second place: Zach and Amber Pierce $5,377 and third place: Tyler and Heather Kratzke, Gaylord, $4,670.
Overall, the competition raised $330,335 through the generosity of 250-plus businesses and organizations, and countless individual donors.
The proceeds are used to support work in local communities and schools. 2B CONTINUED offers a variety of evidence-based trainings in communities, on demand, including Question Persuade Refer (QPR, the mental health version of CPR), Mental Health First Aid and SafeTALK for Ag. The organization hosts an annual Continuing Education for Professionals and engages in community outreach activities such as distributing yard signs with encouraging messages during mental health awareness month in May, participates in parades and county fairs, and has a monthly Suicide Loss Support group. Additionally, the proceeds will help support their largest program — Teen Mental Health First Aid, a six-lesson school curriculum taught by their certified instructors at schools, free of charge. Currently 2B CONTINUED teaches the program in 16 schools in its eight-county service area and has a waiting list of several other schools wanting to onboard the evidence-based training program this fall.
