Waldorf, MD – Leslie Harvey says she does not wish to become the sixth member of her family to be afflicted with a deadly, incurable disease. That is why Charles County resident and recent retiree Leslie Harvey has gotten involved in the fight against Alzheimer’s. She has gotten several others involved, too. If fact, several feet are involved—dancing feet, in many cases. Harvey is part of the line dancing troupe, the Southern Maryland Boot Scooters. The group was formed in 1995 and became a nonprofit organization almost five years ago. For the past three years, they have been raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Association Washington, DC Metro area chapter with their participation in the annual “Walk to End Alzheimer’s.” approximately 600 communities nationwide host walks. The Southern Maryland Boot Scooters’ team walks in the Charles County event, which will be held in La Plata on a date to be determined.
According to Cindy Shelhorn of the Alzheimer’s Association, The Southern Maryland Boot Scooters raised $34,735 in 2018. “They are back on board for the 2019 Walk and have set an ambitious goal to raise $100,000,” said Shelhorn.
“We want to be number one in Charles County again,” said Harvey, who added that last year the Boot Scooters were one of the highest fund raising teams in all the Washington Metro area walks. Their first year of participation led to a $5,000 contribution and the second year to troupe held a few pre-walk fundraising events that netted $18,000. For year three “we wanted to step it up and this year we decided to go even higher.”
To kick off their fundraising, the Southern Maryland Boot Scooters will be hosting their first annual Valentine’s Day Gala Friday, Feb. 15 at Middleton Hall in Waldorf. The event will include a “dueling piano show” with Jimmy Ross from Bobby McKeys,’ gourmet dining prepared by highly acclaimed Chef De Cuisine Kendall Selby, an impressive array of raffle and auction items, including an all-inclusive trip for two to the Caribbean; and raffle tickets to win a 2018 Ford Escape, courtesy of Upper Marlboro Ford and Electric P. S. Inc.
Harvey told TheBayNet.com that Chef Kendall has promised quite a spread, including prime rib, salmon, potatoes, crab balls and shrimp. “It’s going to be amazing,” said Harvey. “He [Chef Kendall] is also doing all the desserts.”
The Southern Maryland Boot Scooters have performed at several venues in their 24-year history. They perform annually at all of the Southern Maryland region’s county fairs and the Southern Knights Car and Bike Show in Charlotte Hall. They also give performances for residents of local nursing homes and assisted living facilities, as well as other charity events. They’ve also been showcased at the NBC 4 Health Expo.
“We meet and practice every week,” said Harvey. “We give free line dancing lessons, too. We get quite a few new members through our dance lessons.” Currently the troupe has about 50 members.
For more information about the Southern Maryland Boot Scooters and their Feb. 15 fundraiser, visit their web site.
Worldwide, approximately 50 million people are living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia. For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association click here.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com