{Ashley} Dancing for our Stars | LB Memorial Heart & Vascular Institute Fundraiser

A few weeks ago I was honored to be a special guest at a fundraiser that my former student was participating in. You may remember her from HERE. Or you may remember her as being one of my most challenging cheerleaders EVER (haha...j/k, kinda) from my coaching days. I love to tease her about her high school days, because we tended to butt heads. But honestly I have come to appreciate her fiestiness and passion for life. It's the same kind of challenge that my little girl presents me with daily. I love her tenacity for life but not the challenges it gives me. But in the end, it will serve them both well in this life. But on to the real reason for this post...

A few years ago, Ashley served as Miss Long Beach. Since then, she continues to be involved in community happenings and fundraising. As an avid dancer for most of her life, she judged the Dancing with our Stars fundraiser last year. This year she got to participate as a dancer in the event. She was the "pro" to her amateur partner Mike Van Dyke. She choreographed the entire routine having never ballroom danced. She did such a remarkable job with the choreography but also making it entertaining and relevant to the audience. I actually had a very difficult time capturing the dancing because I was so enthralled with the performance. I absolutely adore ballroom dancing, am a huge fan of "Dancing with the Stars", and use to be an avid salsa dancer (even dancing with a team for a bit). Ashley and Mike raised a ton of money for a super good cause. I was so happy to be a part of the event.