• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Advertising

My Sweet Charity

An Ongoing Conversation For the Good Of Dallas

  • Home
  • Photo Gallery
  • Event Calendar
  • Fundraisers
  • Health
  • Heroes
  • Contact

The Senior Source Celebrated Turning 60 By Crowning Pappa Phunk The Diamond Dance King

Jul 8, 2021 5:30 PM by Jeanne Prejean

The morning of Tuesday, June 22, was a rarity. Despite the 90-degree heat of the past days, a cold front had swept thru North Texas during the night resulting in morning temperatures in the 60s. It was to be a one-day reprise from the summer heat.

By 10 a.m. the temperatures had risen to the upper 70s, making it perfect for The Senior Source’s Diamond Dance-Off finals at Klyde Warren Park. As one person commented, “A day before or a day after and it would have been a different story.”

After weeks of folks submitting videos in four categories (solo, partners, group and generational), the big day had arrived for the dance-off by the winners of the categories.

Klyde Warren Park splash pad
Klyde Warren Park splash pad

As children played in the splash pads near the Muse Family Performance Pavilion, the finalists, their fans like Molly Bogen, Sandra Estess and Betty Houser and curious observers prepared for the dance-off that was celebrating The Senior Source’s 60 years of “enhancing the quality of life of older adults in Dallas.”

Sandra Estess
Honey Pickens

Taking her seat on the front row was Honey Pickens, who couldn’t resist swaying to the pre-event music played over the PA by emcee WFAA’s DJ LC.

Across the way finalists/longtime Senior Source supporters Kathy and Larry Helms told how they had been dancing for 55 years. After reporting that their favorite dance was the jitterbug, Larry laughed that he had to teach Kathy how to dance because, “she was a Baptist and they can’t dance. I’m Presbyterian.”

Just as the program got underway, the rows of chairs were shaded by the Pavilion. But as the dancers were introduced and performed, the shade gave way to the sunshine, causing some guests to scooch their chairs in the direction of the shade. Luckily, the staff was ready for the rising temps as they handed out hand fans to create a breeze.

Golden Girls
Suzelle Poole
Kathy and Larry Helm
Sandi Greenberg and Bronia Weiner
Ken Malcolmson and Renza Lewis

First introduced were the finalists and other notable entrants who had been standouts from the submissions, like Yasmeen Ali and her Golden Girls, Hurricane Katrina transplant Renza Lewis, North Dallas Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Ken Malcolmson, the world’s oldest ballerina on pointe Madame Suzelle Poole, Honey, Michael “Pappa Phunk” Neemes, the Helms, Texas Cool Line Dancers, Granny Sydney Portilla-Diggs and 102-year-old Holocaust survivor Bronia Weiner.

Texas Cool Line Dancers
Michael “Pappa Phunk” Nemes
Kathy and Larry Helm
Sydney Portilla-Diggs and granddaughters

With judges Texas Ballet Theater’s Andre Silva, NBC5’s Vivian Kwarm and retired Dallas Morning News columnist Steve Blow and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson taking their places at the judging table, the four finalists — Texas Cool Line Dancers, Michael “Pappa Phunk” Neemes, the Helms and Granny Sydney Portilla-Diggs and her granddaughters — showed off their finest moves.

Steve Blow
Vivian Kwarm
Andres Silva
LC and Eric Johnson

After a quick huddle among the judges, Eric announced that The Diamond Dance-Off Crown plus the $500 prize was won by Michael, to the delight of his fans. Upon receiving his check, he teared up and told the crowd that he was donating it to The Senior Source’s Beat The Heat program that provides AC units for clients in the days ahead.

Diamond Dance check presentation

As a surprise and a compliment to Michael’s act of kindness, his employer Retirement Planners of America matched the donation. The combined $1,000 resulted in the purchase of four air-conditioning units.

Michael’s and Retirement Planners of America’s generosities were a well-timed reminder. One doesn’t have to dance to help The Senior Source clients face the coming weeks of blistering heat.

For a look at more dance moves and faces, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.

Filed Under: Aging, Anniversary, Challenge, Competition, Dance, Elderly, Entertainment, Events, Family friendly, Fund raiser, FYI, Heroes, In-person, Matching funds, Music, Outdoors, Performance, Prize(s), Senior citizens Tagged With: Andre Silva, Beat The Heat, Bronia Weiner, Diamond Dance-Off, DJ LC, Eric Johnson, Golden Girls, Honey Pickens, Kathy Helm, Ken Malcolmson, Larry Helm, Michael Nemes, Pappa Phunk, Renza Lewis, Sandi Greenberg, Sandra Estess, Stacey Malcolmson, Steve Blow, Suzelle Poole, Sydney Portilla-Diggs, Texas Cool Line Dancers, The Senior Source, Vivian Kwarm

Primary Sidebar

We cover the people, organizations and activities that make the North Texas area unique thanks to philanthropic and nonprofit endeavors. We limit our coverage to only news that directly impacts and benefits the area, but we do it with an "honest but friendly" hand.

MySweetCharity does not cover activities or news of a controversial nature.

Materials on this site are © copyrighted. Images contained on this website are not within the public domain. To republish, please send request to [email protected] for permission.

Disclaimer: We are provided gratis invitations from organizations without any expectations on their part of any coverage.

Subscribe for Email Updates

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Search

Follow MyTweetCharity on Twitter
Follow MySweetCharity on Facebook

MySweetCharity

Resources

  • After-School All-Stars North Texas
  • Baylor Scott & White Health
  • Callier Center
  • Children's Health
  • Community Partners of Dallas
  • Dallas CASA
  • Dallas Film Society
  • Dallas Symphony Orchestra
  • Equest
  • Family Gateway
  • Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas
  • Goodwill Industries of Dallas
  • Housing Crisis Center
  • Leukemia Texas
  • North Texas Giving Day
  • Southwest Transplant Alliance
  • Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas
  • Texas Women's Foundation
  • The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
  • The Dallas Opera
  • The Family Place
  • The Magdalen House
  • Trinity Park Conservancy

Categories

Archives

MySweetCharity sponsorships

  • Callier Cares Luncheon
  • Cattle Baron's Ball
  • Celebrating Women
  • Community Partners of Dallas
  • Crystal Charity Ball
  • Day At The Races
  • Equest
  • Healing Hands Luncheon
  • KidneyTexas
  • Mad Hatter's Tea
  • North Texas Giving Day
  • Texas Women's Foundation Annual Luncheon
  • Women's Auxiliary of The Salvation Army Dallas Fashion Show And Luncheon
Copyright © 2010-2021 My Sweet Charity · Website Design by Shauna Callaghan