Tioga United Way

08/31/2026

Tickets for the 9th Annual Tioga United Way "Dancing United With The Starz" are officially available to the general public. This high-demand, premier fundraising event brings local star dancers to the ballroom to compete, raise funds, and dance the night away in support of the critical partner agencies funded by the Tioga United Way throughout the county.
Ticket Details & Logistics
• Price: Tickets are $100 per person.
• Seating Arrangement: Full tables of 10 seats are available for booking.
• Purchasing Platform: Secure online sales are open via this Tioga United Way Portal link.
• https://2026dancingunited.planningpod.com/?_gl=1*1715sqt*_gcl_au*ODU2Mzc0NDc2LjE3ODM3MDAwOTk

• Please fill out the form; depending on the payment method, select check if you are sending a check. The Venmo link is at the bottom of the page. PayPal is also available. Credit Cards cannot be accepted at this moment, but we are working on it.

• HOTEL EARLY BIRD SPECIAL IS GOOD UNTIL SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2026 $109.99
Once you secure your tickets or table, you will get a QR code as your ticket; then it will give you a HOTEL CODE to reserve your early bird special. CALL THE HOTEL DESK to reserve your spot. YOU HAVE TO PAY THE HOTEL for your room directly

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE Call/Text Bob at 607-687-4028 or email [email protected] with any questions

Alternative Payment Methods For Tickets To The Show Only
You can finalize your reservation by sending payment directly via the official avenues:
• Venmo:
• PayPal:
• Check/Mail: Sent to Tioga United Way, 146 Central Ave, Suite 3, Owego, NY 13827. Be sure to include a direct message with your full name so your reservation can be cataloged.

Save the date and spread the word about this amazing event: https://729658682.planningpod.com United with the Stars

08/29/2026

Who’s Ready?!?! Tune in on Monday for the news!

08/23/2026

Hello All United Way supporters, we are looking for Peacock Feathers for an event this fall and hoping we can get some locally?
Do we have any peacock owners that would be willing to donate some feathers?

08/21/2026

Looking for something fun to do? Get your float on all while helping out a good cause. This is part of the Dancing United With The Starz fundraising.

08/12/2026

Welcome, Irene Radigan, as one of Tioga United Way's Dancing United with the Starz, alongside professional Anthony Almond. Irene is a wife, mother of five, entrepreneur, and co-owner of Radigan Media. Between running a business, raising five kids, and trying to remember where she left her coffee, life is always moving—and she wouldn’t have it any other way!

Irene is passionate about helping local businesses and nonprofits grow while making a positive impact throughout the communities we serve. Through marketing, media, and community involvement, she loves bringing people together, spotlighting great causes, and creating opportunities for others to succeed.

So, when the opportunity came along to support the Tioga United Way through Dancing United with the Starz, she thought, “Why not?” After all, what better way to step outside my comfort zone than by putting on some sparkly shoes, attempting to remember choreography, and dancing in front of way too many people?!

She may know marketing and media, but dancing is a whole different kind of performance—and there’s a very real possibility that her feet will have their own agenda! But if getting out on that dance floor can help raise money, bring awareness to the incredible work of Tioga United Way, and make a difference in our community, then Irene is all in.

Irene may be excited, nervous, and probably going to question this decision at least a few times during rehearsals—but most of all, she can’t wait to have fun, challenge herself, and dance for a cause that means so much to our community. Let’s dance, Tioga County!

08/06/2026

Welcome Sarah Wieckhorst as one of Tioga United Way's Dancing United with the Satrz, alongside professional dancer Merlin. Sarah, a legal assistant by day, future lawyer by night, is now apparently a contestant who thought adding dance rehearsals to an already packed schedule sounded like a perfectly reasonable life choice. While most people spend their free time relaxing, Sarah decided law school wasn’t challenging enough, so she added sequins and choreography to the mix.

When she’s not buried in legal briefs (or briefing legal books), Sarah loves spending time with her friends, family, and her dog, who remains completely unimpressed by her dance moves. She also enjoys curling up with a good book and hitting the golf course, where she’s learned that “fore!” is sometimes less of a warning and more of a prediction.

Sarah is hoping her legal background comes in handy on the dance floor. If the judges don’t love her routine, she’s fully prepared to file an appeal… or at least object on the grounds that dancing is harder than it looks! She’s also hoping her two left feet can negotiate a settlement before showtime.

By stepping onto the stage for Dancing United with the Starz, Sarah is trading courtroom confidence for dance-floor courage—all to support the incredible work of the Tioga United Way. She can’t promise perfect pirouettes or flawless footwork, but she can promise plenty of laughs, a whole lot of heart, and enough dance puns to make everyone want to “adjourn” to the after-party.

So if you see Sarah dancing, cheer loudly! She’s working hard to prove that justice isn’t the only thing that can be served… sometimes it’s a show-stopping performance with a little “motion” on the dance floor. Case closed!

07/28/2026

Welcome, Chris Riley, as one of Tioga United Way's 2026 Dancing United with the Starz, alongside professional dancer Samara Guzman. Chris is heading into his fourth year working in security at Tioga Downs, where he has learned to expect the unexpected. From keeping the peace to helping guests, every shift is an adventure. One thing he never expected, though? Trading my security boots for dancing shoes!

Outside of work, he is a proud uncle to two incredible nieces and three awesome nephews—including my godson. They keep him laughing, keep him young (or at least they try!), and never miss an opportunity to remind him that he should probably stick to his day job.

Chris always loved dancing at weddings, family parties, and pretty much anywhere there’s good music. Is he a professional? Absolutely not. Has he confidently danced like nobody was watching… even when everyone was? Definitely! So when Chris had the chance to participate in Dancing United with the Starz, he couldn’t pass it up. It’s the perfect opportunity to take on a challenge, have a blast, and, most importantly, support an organization that makes a real difference for families throughout Tioga County. We must add that Chris was the absolute first person to sign up for Dancing United with the Starz; he signed up the night of 2025's event!

Chris will admit that learning an actual choreographed routine has been a little different from his usual “just wing it” approach on the dance floor. There have been plenty of laughs, a few sore muscles, and more than one moment where I wondered whose idea this was! But every practice reminds me why we’re doing this—to help the Tioga United Way continue supporting programs and people who need it most.

So Chris is asking for your support! Every donation helps make a difference in our community, and every vote gets him one step closer to proving that a security officer can, in fact, dance. Whether he wows you with his moves or simply makes you laugh trying, he promises to leave it all on the dance floor.

Thank you for cheering Chris on, supporting the Tioga United Way, and helping all of us make a lasting impact. Now let’s raise some money—and hopefully not too many eyebrows when the music starts!

07/14/2026

Welcome, Stacy, as one of Tioga United Way's 2026 Dancing United with the Starz, alongside professional dancer Jean Graham. Stacy is a proud husband to his beautiful bride, Nikki, and the proud father of two incredible sons. A lifelong Tioga County resident and OFA graduate, Stacy has dedicated his career to serving his community through the Tioga County Department of Social Services, where he works every day to support families facing life’s toughest challenges.

Stacy knows that in a small community, every helping hand matters, and that’s why he believes so strongly in the incredible work of the Tioga United Way. But don’t let the serious day job fool you…

When the workday ends, Stacy trades paperwork for dance moves! Whether it’s a local concert, a live band, or a Porchfest, you can bet he’ll be out on the dance floor with Nikki, proving that their date nights come with plenty of rhythm. Some say they’ve worn out more dance floors than pairs of shoes!

Now he’s ready to swap the concert crowd for the spotlight, dancing not just for bragging rights, but to help raise money for neighbors in need. So get ready to cheer loudly, laugh often, and support Stacy as he dances his heart out for a great cause. Let’s give him a huge round of applause!

07/07/2026

Welcome Alessio De Michele as one of Tioga United Way’s 2026 Dancing United with the Starz, dancing with professional Jen Brockner. By day Alessio teaches personal finance and sports management at Owego Free Academy in addition to coaching the varsity soccer team. Soccer has been Alessio’s lifelong passion and plays at a semi-professional level and coaches 2 club teams with Rush Binghamton. Needless to say, Alessio spends a lot of time teaching footwork, practicing footwork or yelling about footwork.

Fortunately, some of these soccer skills have occasionally translated to the dance floor at weddings. While he would rather wear comfortable soccer cleats than dancing shoes, when Alessio learned about this incredible event to support Tioga United Way, he couldn’t resist the urge to throw those dancing shoes on.

Now let’s be honest, Alessio is starting this competition with plenty of enthusiasm and a little less than natural dance talent than he would prefer, but if soccer has taught him anything, it’s that improvement comes from hard work, determination and being willing to look a little silly while learning something new.

Alessio is excited to trade the soccer field for the dance floor, challenge himself in a completely different arena and hopefully entertain a few people along the way, most importantly, Alessio is honored to be a part of an event that brings our community together to support such a meaningful cause.

With the help of family, friends, teammates, students and supporters, Alessio hopes to raise as much money as possible for Tioga United Way, every donation makes a difference and if we can have some laughs, create great memories and support our community at the same time, Alessio calls that “a winning season”.

Wish Alessio luck- because scoring goals is one thing, but surviving dance lessons might be the toughest challenge yet.