UCD hosts Strictly Come Dancing fundraiser
By Claudia Dalby | Mar 10 2017
Photo credit: UCDSU via Twitter[br]On Saturday 4th of March, UCD played host to Strictly Come Dancing as part of a fundraiser.The dancers of UCD Strictly Come Dancing got their jitterbug on and went head-to-head with a newly found mastery of dance. The Grand Finale was held in O’Reilly Hall. The dancers had been training for the previous 6 weeks.The event, which replicates the formula of the popular BBC television show, saw 13 couples and 3 groups from the UCD community jive, lift, and tango in front of a panel of judges. The evening was a charitable event. UCD Volunteers Overseas (UCD VO) and Gorta Self Help Africa, who will benefit from money raised over weeks of fundraising, and from ticket costs, to fund their trips and activities abroad.The night was deemed a success by attendees and participants alike, with many taking to social media to express their congratulations.Judges determined the duo of Amanda and Odhran to be the winners. Prizes were additionally given for second, third, and best video amongst the hopeful contestants.UCD VO extended its thanks to the organisers from the UCD Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, UCD HR and UCD in the Community, as well as the UCD staff and students who were professionally coached through samba rolls and lifts.Gorta works in 9 countries across Africa to eliminate poverty and hunger, focusing on small-scale farming and growing family-farm business. UCD VO sends students to India, Haiti, Nicaragua, Tanzania and Uganda to volunteer in disadvantaged communities overseas to develop their educational, healthcare, construction or computer training projects.The figure of money raised has not yet been calculated and this article will be updated when it is released.