NC State Star to Disco的美元

Mindy Sopher admits she occasionally gets winded. The radiation treatments that helped her battle and defeat cancer four times in 12 years left scars on her lungs.

但是，无情的乐观主义者缺乏肺功能。

This Saturday, Sopher, an academic advisor and lecturer in exploratory studies, will step out on the dance floor during the Southern Women’s Show at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds to compete in a fundraiser to benefit children with disabilities.

The competition,像星星一样跳舞, matches local celebrities such as Sopher, WRAL anchor Kathryn Brown and WTPF reporter Brandon Dickson with professional dance instructors from the Arthur Murray Dance Center in Cary. The teams are not only competing on the dance floor; they’re going toe to toe to see who can raise the most money for the国家包容性项目, a nonprofit group that supports children with physical and developmental disabilities.

Shaking Some Trees

After practicing her dance routine for hours after work, Sopher takes to social media to reach out to friends, colleagues and former students who might kick in a dollar or two toward the effort. You canvote for Sopherand help her raise funds by donating online.

她说：“我在摇动一些树木。”“我不介意寻求帮助，因为这是给孩子们的。”

Her efforts are beginning to pay off. A student she advised at Memphis State three decades ago donated $50 and then passed the word to his fraternity brothers in Phi Gamma Delta to chip in, too.

她说：“他向他们挑战小马，因为敏迪小姐当时买了他们的T恤和抽奖券和甜甜圈。”“这是回报时间。”

在亚瑟·默里中心（Arthur Murray Center），教练亚历克斯·劳埃德（Alex Lloyd）呼应了Sopher的热情。他期待着他们周六在聚光灯下的时刻，当时他们会摇晃自己的赃物，以阿巴（Abba）的曲调“跳舞皇后”（Dancing Queen）。

“Anybody who knows Mindy knows how wonderful she is,” he says. “She just lights up the studio. She loves dancing, and she loves the cause. She inspires everybody.”

Lloyd and David Cox, owner of the Cary Arthur Murray franchise, choreographed the dance routine, which incorporates moves from the tango and the hustle, spiced with a flirtatious Latin flavor.

“It has aSaturday Night Feverfeel to it,” Lloyd says. “It’s pretty challenging.”

Stepping Up

Sopher is determined to step up to the challenge, recalling her early successes on the dance floor, including a dance recital at 6 — at which she wore a glow-in-the-dark outfit — and ballroom-dancing lessons at 12.

她说：“我教我的弟弟如何在客厅里做cha-cha。”“跳舞教会了我我拥有的小恩典。”

The effort also reinforces the philosophy of service learning that lays the foundation for the course Sopher teaches in nonprofit leadership and development every semester. Students in the course, some of whom volunteer with the National Inclusion Project, encouraged her to join the dance contest.

她解释说：“服务学习远非志愿服务。”“这是将理想与行动融为一体，然后对此进行反思并从中成长。它专注于批判性思维技能。这是“思考和做”的本质。”

That reminds her she still has plenty to do before Saturday’s event.

“我在寻找服装,”她说,browsing a website for vintage 1970s clothing. “I have a feather boa and a curly, white wig. But I still need an outfit that I can dance in. Something with bright colors and bell-bottoms.”

Sopher tilts her head thoughtfully as she checks out a picture of a psychedelic tunic with ruffled sleeves.

“Something like this,” she says, breathing a little easier.