Submitted
Editor’s note: The 11th annual Dancing with Our Stars is set for 6 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Noblesville. Community Health Network is the presenting sponsor for the fifth consecutive year with a special thanks to The Beckmoore Foundation.
Dear Friends,
I’m inviting you to be part of an event that is important to me and our community.
I am participating in Hamilton County Meals on Wheels’ Dancing with Our Stars event on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. at the Embassy Suites in Noblesville.
My dance professional is Rob Jenkins, and he is a great instructor. He’s a tough instructor and he’s challenging me to use the other side of my brain – feeling the music, following his ever-so-slight cues, and not rushing the process. We’ve been practicing weekly since early June and I feel confident that I can portray the role of a dancer and proudly represent my supporters.
I was first introduced to Meals on Wheels in 1998 when I was a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. Our Company Grade Officer Council delivered meals twice a month to homebound folks who lived in Montgomery, Ala. In the beginning, it was something we HAD to do. Over time, it became a service we loved doing, dressed in our uniforms and bringing nourishment to those who needed it.
Here I am, many years later and I have the chance to help in a very different way: as a fundraiser and daughter whose father will be a new enrollee in North Carolina. I trust and believe in the role they perform in our country.
Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County delivered its first meals in 1975 to a small number of homebound individuals; since then, the program has grown exponentially. In 2024, over 70,000 meals were delivered by more than 420 volunteers at a cost of $350,000. I am dancing to ensure the hundreds of homebound residents, retirees, and veterans who rely on Meals on Wheels can continue to receive the sustenance, human connection, and kindness that they deserve. For this to happen, I am depending on friends, colleagues, and business owners to contribute as they are able to this worthy cause.
My goal is to win both awards: Judges’ Choice (based on technical skill) and People’s Choice (based on fundraising). Either way, it will be an enjoyable experience and our collective efforts will ensure the continued success of Meals on Wheels in Hamilton County.
Click here to access the secure ticket page for Dancing With Our Stars 2025.
Tiffanie Ditlevson
Fishers
