Kristina Crouch and Kereti Rautangata are sponsored by Urbo Homes. Harcourts Dancing for Hospice. 30 May 2019 Daily Post photograph by Stephen Parker RGP 15Jun19 -
It was fast-paced Spanish paso doble that saw Kristina Crouch and Kereti Rautangata take home the disco ball trophy in the 2019 Harcourts Dancing for Hospice.
Polly Delfim and Rawiri Bhana took out the People's Choice Award.
About 2000 people got their glad rags on for a night all about raising funds for Rotorua Community Hospice.
Hospice fundraising and marketing manager Nicola Smallwood said it was a spectacular evening.
"We are so proud of the dancers for all they have contributed over the past 15 weeks.
"But we are also thankful to all of the community that have come out and got behind us."
Ten dance couples had been training hard for the past 15 weeks to put on a night of dancing extravaganza for more than 2000 guests.
The event was back in Rotorua for its fourth consecutive year, with a name change.
The goal of the evening was to raise funds to enable Hospice to care for and support more than 420 Rotorua patients with a terminal illness each year.
Although the final figure is still being counted, Smallwood told the Rotorua Daily Post earlier this week she hoped the event would raise $150,000.
The night was opened with a group performance from all of the dancing couples alongside the Amjazz dancing group.
The event was co-hosted by The Hits' Paul Hickey and Rotorua's own Cian Elyse White.
He is 'living proof' of what can be achieved through people donating their organs.