Ripley’s Georgia Kate Conner Crowned Grand Champion at Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi Fundraiser

The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi’s annual “Dance Like the Stars” fundraiser came to a festive conclusion on Saturday night, with Ripley’s Georgia Kate Conner taking the title of grand champion. Conner stood out among the nine volunteer dancers by raising the highest amount—$47,701—bringing the total funds raised for the local nonprofit to $223,313.

The event, which has been a staple since its inception in 2006, features community members who train with The Dance Studio of Tupelo to perform ballroom dances. The summer-long competition culminates in a high-energy finale where participants showcase their skills.

Alongside Conner, this year’s lineup included Denise Benjamin Meek of New Albany; William Teer of Oxford; and Tiffany Phillips, Michael Holloway, Anthony Knight, Katie Scott Haywood, Candace Hunt, and Robert Bass of Tupelo. Bass earned the runner-up title by raising $25,554, while Haywood secured the second runner-up position with $25,435.

Teer was honored with the Judges’ Choice award for his dancing performance, with Holloway and Hunt following in second and third place respectively. Haywood and Knight won the Facebook People’s Choice award.

“It was a huge success,” said Evie Storey, BGCNMS Director of Marketing and Special Events. “It was a packed house, so we were really excited about that.” Storey noted that this year’s general admission ticket sales likely surpassed those of previous events.

Teer joined the competition late, having only eight training sessions with his dance instructor out of the 25 offered to participants.

With the 19th year of “Dance Like the Stars” now complete, Storey is already looking forward to the 20th edition. “We have a lot of fun things and ideas that we’re ready to get started on,” she said. “We’re excited to see what Year 20 is going to look like.”