It was a mic-drop moment. Literally.
When “Dancing With the South Florida Stars” judge Gary Santis praised the performance of Velvet Lenore and Tony Lima, he noted the pair brought in a “ringer,” and only gave them a seven (out of 10). Lenore was having none of it.
She gave Santis a piece of her mind and then some. The crowd was 100% there for it and erupted when she dropped the very expensive microphone to the ground. It was, without a doubt, the most electric moment of the night.
Brian Neal and Bobby Blair brought the event back after a years long hiatus and are thrilled with the results.
“The evening went incredible,” Blair said moments after the pageant. “Bringing the community together and recognizing our trailblazers and game changers has always been our vision. Supporting such a worthy charity was inspiring to everyone. The support was incredible.”
The pageant was at The Venue in Wilton Manors, and the packed ballroom was a who’s who LGBTQ leaders and allies. They were there to watch local luminaries dance with entertainment professionals.
The pairs were: Rolly Villaverde and Alyson Thomas representing Hotspots and Ms. Florida; Steven Edgar Ross Dybask and Vauz Allen for Equal Pride, Out.com and Advocate.com; Scott Szeker and Jessica Channing for Scandals; Jess Wolverton and Chris Caputo for Peak Fitness; Patrik Gallineaux and Jennifer McClain for Tropics Bar & Grille; and Tony Lima and Velvet Lenore for SunServe and Lips.
The night was also a moment to recognize trailblazers in the community. Business honorees were John Manzi, George Kessinger, Victor Zepka, and Michael Murphy. Entertainment honorees were a trio of legends: Electra, Tiffany Ariegus, and Nikki Adams.
The most touching and poignant moment of the night was the tribute to the late Deja Devonier. Devonier had been in each of the previous DWTSFLS events. Velvet Lenore and Nicole T. Phillips did a Dreamgirls performance while clips played on the screen.
Blair says preliminary totals show the event raised between $7,000 and $10,000.
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