Councilwoman Tasco wins ‘Dancing With The Philadelphia Stars’ contest

Ninth District City Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco’s Cha Cha dance steps led her to victory at the Fourth Annual “Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars” event on Sunday.

The event was an awareness-raising fundraiser for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter. Referred to as the “forgotten disease,” it affects 1 out of every 500 African Americans, but 1 out of every 10 to 12 carry the trait.

Each contestant chose one dance style and spent 10 weeks rehearsing with their partners from the Society Hill Dance Academy. Tasco performed the Cha Cha, a Cuban dance, with Nodari Tetruashvily at the Crystal Tea Room event.

Tasco said she thought she was the runner-up when they called her to the dance floor come results time, but that title would go to Nina Tinari of T2 Consultants, who danced with Tim Cartlidge.

“It was fun and, of course, very taxing because you are nervous, but I met some wonderful people and developed some new relationships, which was good for me,” said Tasco.

“With ‘Dancing with the Stars’ being a very successful reality television show, we decided to replicate that concept … by tapping into a current trend that has captured everyone’s attention, get well-known individuals to participate and provide an evening with a reception full-course dinner and ballroom-dance competition,” said Megan Smith, founder of Brownstone PR.

The fundraiser also featured a silent auction that included a wine tasting for 10 people, a private chef dinner at Opa, items from Distante Clothing, the Borgata Hotel and Spa and Hotel Palomar.

While attendance jumped 25 percent from previous years, a fundraising tally has not yet been finalized. Last year, the event raised $50,000.