5/10/07

Relay to feature ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – Clarendon style
By Cathy Gilbert

CATHY GILBERT/Manning Times

Manning Mayor Kevin Johnson really knows how to cut a rug. You can buy a turn on the dance floor at Friday night’s Relay for Life.

While driving down the road last week, Clarendon Dance Center owner and dance master Robin Bradley was trying to come up with a way to involve the community in Friday night’s Relay for Life.

“It just came to me that we could get local dignitaries to ‘sell’ a dance for $5 to raise more money,” Bradley said. “My students have already raised over $1,000 on their own, but we wanted to do more.”

Here’s how it will work: Bradley has “coerced” a long list local “stars” to be a part of her event at Relay. For just 30 minutes, between 8 and 8:30 p.m., the dance floor will be open and Relay attendees can buy a dance with the celebrity of their choice, to the song of their choice.

The list is a veritable “who’s who” of Clarendon County: Manning Mayor Kevin Johnson, Manning Police Chief Randy Garrett and Lt. Pete Surette, Paxville Mayor Jamie Corbett, Sen. John Land, Manning Primary School Principal Betty Harrington and Asst. Principal Pam Buddin, Manning Early Childhood Center Principal Marie Gibbons and teachers Ericka Floyd, Roxanne hardy, Deloris Hester and Robertha Harrison.

Clarendon Memorial Hospital’s Sue Shugart and Dee Dee Gaines will both be available to cut a rug, as will Clarendon Chiropractic’s Dr. Scott Brown. Both Ranny Stephens and Hayes Samuels are participating, but we don’t believe there is a message there!

Robin Bradley has been teaching both kids and adults to dance since she was 13 years old and it is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

“I am now teaching the children of kids I taught more than 20 years ago,” she said with a smile.

Her school, located on South Mill Street, has about 125 students. A native of Sumter, Bradley is married to her husband Jimmy and they have two children, J.T. and Dale.

Relay for Life starts around 6 p.m. Friday night at Manning High School’s Carl Ramsey Stadium. Bradley’s Clarendon Dance Center students will perform on the main stage at 7 p.m.