Dancing with the Saints: Celebrity dance off to raise money for Xavier

This weekend 10 couples will don their dancing shoes during a fundraiser for Xavier High School.

'Dancing with the Saints' pairs Xavier parents and community members with Eastern Iowa performers. Proceeds from the event, scheduled for Saturday at the Cedar Rapids Marriott, will go toward the purchase of two new vans for the Xavier High School activities program.

The event includes a VIP cocktail reception, dinner, dessert, the dancing competition and an open dance.

Xavier High School principal Tom Keating was inspired to bring the competition to Cedar Rapids after he and his wife attended a similar event, Keating said.

'About 15 or 20 minutes in to this, my wife and I both said that this is what we've got to do,' he said.

Keating introduced the idea to a few people and formed a core committee to create the event.

Chuck Long, Micki Schillig Feldmann and Scott Saville will judge the competition, which is being emceed by Sen. Liz Mathis and Jeff Henderson.

Among the pairs competing are Tami Lux and Derrick Murray. Lux, of Cedar Rapids, has three children. One is a Xavier High School graduate, one is a sophomore at the school and one is a seventh grader at LaSalle Middle School.

'This particular fundraiser was different than any of the other ones,' Lux said. 'It's so much more fun than selling cold cards or selling Christmas wrapping paper or pizzas or one of those types of fundraisers. It's something completely different and I thought it would be a great cause for a great school.'

Lux said couples are limited to 10 hours of preparation time. While Lux has dance experience, that doesn't include ballroom, she said.

'My partner is Derrick Murray, and he is an excellent dancer and instructor: He's very patient and quite a perfectionist,' she said. 'It's been a very wonderful experience for me.'

There will be two winners: One will be based on dancing and one will be based on who raised the most money, Keating said. Votes can be cast for a certain pair by making a donation in advance or the night of the event.

After the winners are announced, the dance floor will be opened to everyone.

'It's been a great opportunity for us to network with the community, whether it's the sponsors, and in particular the choreographers and dancers and dance studios,' Keating said. 'It's been a wonderful thing to get connected with those folks. That's been a great thing for us.'

To donate

'Dancing with the Saints' is sold out, but those wishing to vote for a couple can do so through January 16 at xaviersaints.org/dwts. For more information call Xavier High School at (319) 294-6635 or email dwts@xaviersaints.org.