Dancing With Our Stars: Saturday, March 26

Hope is in our hands — and their feet! It’s time for Dancing With Our Stars! The big event is set for 6:30 p.m. (doors open with open dancing), Saturday, March 26, at Harrah’s Metropolis.

The actual competition begins at 8 p.m., with the audience voting by dollar donations. So be ready to support your favorite star!

The event benefits the Lourdes Relay For Life teams, which then turn all funds raised over to the American Cancer Society.

Dress to impress and enjoy live dance music by The Cruisers! Heavy hors d’oeuvres, auction, dollar dance and more.

Tickets are sold out, but it’s not too late to meet our stars!

Lauren Adams
When this Emmy-nominated TV journalist isn’t reporting for WPSD Local 6, she is chilling out with her husband, Jay Page, and their four-legged children Peanut and Bella. Adams is a Philadelphia native and has worked in newsrooms across the country including in New York and Georgia. She is a member of the Charity League of Paducah and helps plan the American Cancer Society’s Ladies Luncheon. While she’s used to spinning the yarns of the day’s news, this is Adams’ first time spinning on the dance floor with a professional. She dances in honor of her mother and father-in-law, who are cancer survivors, and for “Poppy,” whom Adams lost to cancer in April.

Gary Adkisson
Originally from Jackson, Mo., Adkisson is the general manager for The Paducah Sun, and serves on the board for the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce. A night as spectator of a previous Dancing With Our Stars event inspired Gary and his wife, Glenda Adkisson, to take up dance lessons in May. Tonight, they both compete for those in their lives touched by cancer — and for bragging rights, of course. Perhaps Gary’s hobby of long-distance bicycling will help his endurance, as will dancing for his grandfather, Robert E Lee Marshall, and his mother-in-law, Lou Sutton, who both battled cancer. Gary’s mother, Peggy Adkisson, was recently diagnosed with cancer, and he dances for her as well. The couple also hopes to make proud their children, Amy, Logan and Alisa.

Glenda Adkisson
A North Carolina native, Adkisson has served as executive director of the Paducah chapter of the American Red Cross, and is an instructor for Homeland Security Courses and Bridges Out of Poverty. She also serves on the board of directors for Rotary International. She dances in honor of her mother, Lou Sutton, who was diagnosed with cancer in May and died seven weeks later. Like her husband competing tonight, Glenda enjoys long-distance bicycling and took up dancing lessons last May. Also like her husband, Glenda expects to take home (friendly) bragging rights.

H.B. Banks
Banks, an owner of Banks Grocery Co. and H.B. & Co., is excited to bag the honor of being a “star” for Dancing With Our Stars. The Paducah native graduated from St. Mary High School and then continued on to Southern Methodist University, University of Kentucky and Murray State University. He has no previous dancing experience (well, outside of a good time with friends when the music is right) and hopes his interest in exercising and sports serve him well on the dance floor.  Though not a victim of cancer, H.B. dances in memory of his late father, Burton Banks. He also dances in honor of his grandparents, Judge James and Mabel Foreman, and uncle, Mike Love, all touched by cancer. H.B. is thankful to have the support of his family and friends for this event.

Karen Brown
This Paducah native returned home in 2007 after living for 13 years in Nashville, Tenn. A finance coordinator for the Lourdes Foundation, Brown is also a member of the Kentucky Commission on Women, a governor-appointed board in the Commonwealth. Brown brings dancing experience from 15 years of training, from ages five to 20, in tap, ballet and jazz. Tonight, she dances for her grandmother and father, who she both lost to cancer. Her sister-in-law is a breast cancer survivor, and Brown is also honoring her friends, too many of whom have battled the disease. Supporting her is her husband Evan Brown, and children Eli and Abby.

John Colgan
Colgan owns Colgan Orthodontics and is a past president of the Kentucky Association of Orthodontics and the Purchase Dental Society. A St. Mary High School and Murray State University graduate, Colgan followed in his father’s footsteps in dentistry after earning a degree from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. Outside of father-daughter dances and wedding receptions, this will be Colgan’s first time on stage dancing. Supporting him are his wife, Janet, and children John Jr., Jennifer, Justin and Julia. Colgan dances tonight for his grandfather, Anthony Freeman, who battled cancer.

Ayrie Crump
As a USEC Inc. laboratory technologist, and Zumba Fitness instructor, Crump has the mind and body to succeed on the dance floor. She also has the spirit, dancing tonight for family members lost to melanoma, brain cancer and breast cancer. Crump’s cousin, Patricia Robinson, is a breast cancer survivor. She also dances to honor Hazel Jones, Sheila Liedecker, Terry Hofer, Charlie Hicks — co-workers who fought hard against cancer. Julia Meyers is also her inspiration as a breast cancer survivor. When she isn’t serving as the business manager for Ninth Street Tabernacle Ministries, Crump is looking for other ways to serve the Lord and his people. She is supported tonight by her husband George Crump Jr., and children Martin Grubbs, Mia Cooper and Maurice Crump. Three grandchildren — Cierra Crump, Natalie Crump and Noah Cooper — also cheer her on.

Erin Diel
Diel had the dance kicks down pat before tonight, bringing in her experience as a YMCA kickboxing instructor, and some previous lessons at the Paducah Dance Academy. The Social Security Administration claims representative was born and raised in Mt. Vernon, Ill., and received her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Murray State University. Engaged to marry Brad Sullivan on 11-11-11, Diel lives in Mayfield and is running full and half marathons when she isn’t teaching kickboxing. Diel dances for her aunt who just lost a kidney to cancer, and for all of those with cancer whom she serves through social security disability assistance.

Todd Faulkner
A native of Centerville, Ohio, Faulkner came to Paducah in June 2007 from the NBC affiliate in Clarksburg, West Va. An award-winning and Emmy-nominated TV journalist, he anchors the WPSD Local 6 weekend newscasts, as well as reporting from the field during the week. Faulkner holds a degree in media/television communications from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, and has penchants for reading, the arts, coffee and wine. His only formal dance training comes from a ballroom dance class in college. He dances for those in his family touched by cancer.

Lisa Highfil
This guitar-playing banker with UBS Financial Services is originally from McKenzie, Tenn. She has those musical inclinations, and lessons from Boogie and Elsie Thurman during her college days at Murray State University, working in her favor tonight. Highfil is a member of Immanuel Baptist Church where she is involved in handbells and choir. Highfil dances tonight for a co-worker diagnosed with cancer and her boyfriend’s mother who is battling a second round of breast cancer. Since training for tonight, four people from her hometown have been diagnosed with cancer, and Highfil hopes one day soon we will be able to dance in rejoice that there is a cure for cancer.

Karen Hogancamp
Participation in old follies and tap will be working for Hogancamp tonight. The Vermont native, and wife of Dr. David Hogancamp, dances in honor of family touched by cancer, including her niece who has brain cancer, her father-in-law, niece, several aunts and uncles, brother and her sister. The former chair of the social life committee at the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Paducah will be supported by her husband, three sons (Chaz, Ryan and Matt), her daughter-in-law, Allison and grand-daughter, Ava. When this respiratory therapist hasn’t been honing her moves on the dance floor she’s pursued some of her hobbies, including scuba diving, photography, gardening, knitting and singing.

Brent Housman
Brent Housman is used to representing the state’s third district as state representative. Tonight, he represents, and dances for, his father-in-law, who passed away from esophageal cancer in April 2006, and his parents, Dr. Lloyd and Betty Housman, who battled facial skin cancers. A newbie to the dance floor, Housman has served his hometown of Paducah as a financial advisor for Hilliard Lyons, Inc. Backing him up tonight is wife Sarah, and children Allie, Max, Jack and Ella Kate.

Al Knudsen
No stranger to the stage, Knudsen is an award-winning performer who has worked on over 75 productions and 500 performances in local theater productions, including at the Market House Theatre since 1989. But outside of musicals, and watching his parents’ love for dancing, this will be Knudsen’s first ballroom go-around with a professional. Knudsen is the director of Retired & Senior Volunteer Program. Supporting him tonight are his wife Dana and daughter Jensen. Knudsen dances in honor of his father, who had cancer on his bladder in 1990. His father was treated and has been cancer free for 20 years.

Polly LeBuhn
Not since dancing lessons as a child with Rosemary Peterson, Joan Crawford and Betty Estelson has this Paducah native took to the dance floor. LeBuhn, who works with the Internal Medicine Group, is spurred on to dance in honor of all the patients, and their families, whom she has cared for while battling cancer. Spending time with family is tops on LeBuhn’s list for when she isn’t perfecting her dance moves, and husband Carl LeBuhn, and children Ben, Kate and Lucy, cheer her on tonight.

Dr. Peter Locken
Locken is used to fighting cancer with his career. The radiation oncologist chose his career path after his step-father died of cancer while Locken was in medical school. Tonight, he’ll help fight the disease with some dance moves. The North Dakota native, and 20-year Paducah resident, dances for his step-father tonight and has the support of his daughter Aften and sons John, Jacob, Reese and Peter.

Sandy Miles
This green thumb hopes to grow twinkle toes. A 10-year board member, and past president, of the Paducah Civic Beatification Board, Miles has dance roots reaching back to lessons from Ruth Johnson in the late 1960s. Alabama-born, and Paducah bred, Miles dances for her parents, who died with cancer in their 50s, and for friends and her sister-in-law who battled cancer.

Dr. Brad Mutchler
This semi-retired doctor is quick with the jokes, and looks to be quick on his feet tonight. Mutchler claims the honor of never being found guilty by trial of a felony. He has no dance experience, but has found through experimentation that he performs better when intoxicated. It’s unclear if the same holds true for his beloved golf game. On a more serious note, Mutchler dances tonight in honor of his mother, who died of ovarian cancer. Supporting him tonight are his wife Phyllis and children Brad, Lisa, Ann and Matt.

Keith Riley
This financial executive hasn’t cashed in on the dance floor since “Dirty Dancing” was a new hit movie, but he is primed for a comeback a la Jennifer Grey. Riley, a Benton native, is executive vice president of Peel & Holland Financial Group and has otherwise poured himself into coaching his sons’ sports teams. Those sons, Chase and Collin, as well as wife Jan will cheer Riley on as he dances in honor of his mother, who passed away from cancer in 1996.

Christal Thorning
As a former Paducah Tilghman High School cheerleader, and current aerobics student at Southside Women’s Fitness Center, Thorning is no stranger to steps and rhythm on a stage. But tonight will be her first with a professional ballroom dancer. A Paducah native who works for Paducah Bank, Thorning dances in honor of her grandfather, Charles Powell, who battled cancer for one year and lost that battle on Feb. 27, 2010. Her husband-to-be in May, Jason Agee, cheers her on.