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Dancing up a storm
Hinely steps her way to trophy in second annual Dancing With The Stars
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Jincy Hinely and professional counterpart Lionel Edy pose with the trophy after winning the second annual Effingham Dancing With the Stars. For more photos, see community.effinghamherald.net. - photo by Photo by Paul Floeckher

Although they are not professional dancers, seven Effingham Countians put on quite a show Saturday night.


Teaming up with professional dancers, the contestants in the second annual Effingham Dancing With The Stars raised money for the Effingham County Victim Witness Assistance Program.


The fundraiser brought in $13,514 as of Saturday night and donations are continuing to come in, according to ECVWAP Executive Director Glenda King. The donations supplement the funds received from the county and the United Way to provide referrals, advocacy and support to victims and witnesses of personal injury crimes.


“It takes additional funds to keep the office operating, so we have to have a fundraiser every year,” King said. “Last year’s (Dancing With The Stars) was so successful in getting the word out about what we do as well as raising money that we decided it would be annual event.”


Jincy Hinely and partner Lionel Edy won this year’s competition, bringing down the house with a Latin-style dance to “Shake You Bon Bon.” Hinely and Edy won a “dance-off” after tying for first place with Stephanie Johnson and her partner Kenneth Howard, who did the cha-cha to “I Like It Like That.”


Also competing this year were Chanses Bowers, Dr. James Cornwell, Heather Sandstrom, Honey Jo Senter and “Sherlock Holmes” from the Effingham Theatre.


For the second straight year, Dr. Cornwell raised the most money, with a total of $5,821 this year.


“We want it to be fun. It was something that had never been done in this county,” King said. “We were looking for something different, and we feel it’s been successful for the two years we’ve done it.”