The winning couple for Saturday’s 12th Annual Dancing With the Stars Columbus Style guessed that there might have been even more cheering unfolding than the applause that erupted from 384 people at The Commons when their fundraising victory was announced. The Rev. Felipe Martinez and Katrina Hardwick figure at least a part of heaven was rejoicing as well.
Hardwick’s mom died of cancer in October. And, for the sake of part of their high-school themed performance in part to a Beatles tune, Martinez was clad in his late father-in-law’s 1953 Bloomfield (Indiana) High School letter sweater.
“When my mother died, I almost quit,” Hardwick said, holding back a bit of emotion. “This is the first time she hasn’t been in the audience for something like this.”
Hardwick, after all, has performed at either the Columbus or Seymour dancing fundraisers 14 times.
“On a night like this, though, we’re not competing against anyone else, though I might be as competitive as anyone,” Martinez said. “We’re all here supporting one another and supporting the kids.”
For more on this story, and more photos, see Monday’s Republic and therepublic.com.
