PIQUA—The Piqua Art Council’s premier fundraiser returns in 2024 for its lucky 13th year.

On Saturday, April 20, five couples from the Piqua community will come together to dance their hearts out at Romer’s Piqua at 201 Robert M Davis Parkway for a Dessert Matinee at 1 p.m. and a Dinner Performance at 6 p.m. Hartzell Propeller will return as our celebrity sponsor for the event.

This year’s dancers are on their quest to win the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy by hosting fundraisers and bringing in votes from family, friends, and community members.

This year’s performers include Josh and Nicole Landis, Evan Jameson and Meghan Bell, Robert and Morgan Crow, Sabrina Messaros and Ashley Pitcock, and Omar Velazquez and Helga Leap.

The cast is full of participants who are already making strides toward the finish line. Their ambition will make this a can’t-miss year.

Josh and Nicole Landis have been married to each other for the last six years. They have four children as well as a dog and two cats. Josh is a Piqua High School graduate and owner of The Buckeye Barn Venue in Piqua. He enjoys reading and self-development leadership. Nicole graduated from Talawanda High School in Oxford but attended Piqua Catholic School growing up. She earned her Associate’s in Nursing at the University of Phoenix before earning her Master’s degree in Nurse Anesthesia from the University of Akron. She has now done anesthesia for 10 years. Nicole also sings with the worship team at her church. Together they enjoy staying active by hiking, playing pickleball, and more. The couple thought that this would be a fun way to raise money for the Piqua Arts Council while getting to spend more time with each other.

Evan Jameson will be dancing with his friend Meghan Bell. Jameson recently got engaged to his fiancé Ryan in May of last year. He graduated from Fairlawn High School and is currently enrolled at Edison State Community College in their Banking program. Since 2020 he has been a Universal Banker with Mutual Federal. His favorite activities include hiking, cycling and watching/critiquing movies with friends.

Bell is one of two siblings and adores her cat Simba. She also graduated from Fairlawn High School before attending Ohio University and graduating with a degree in Child and Family Services this past May. She is an avid reader and enjoys spending time with friends and family. Both are excited to have fun while advocating for the arts within the Piqua community.

Robert and Morgan Crow are a married couple with a set of twin daughters. They also care for two cats and two dogs. Rob graduated from Wapakoneta High School and works for the Ohio branch of Cavalier Distributing. In his spare time, he enjoys staying active by going on runs and practicing his swing on the golf course.

Morgan is the executive director for Assisted Living at The Cottage of Clayton. After graduating from Piqua High School in ’09, she went on to get her Bachelor’s of Exercise Physiology from Shawnee State University. She also enjoys exercising in her free time in the form of running half marathons and hiking. Traveling and tasting craft beers are also passions of hers. The couple thought this would be a good opportunity to learn something new while spending more time together.

Best friends and concert buddies, Sabrina Messaros and Ashley Pitcock are eager to have fun together while supporting the local community. Messaros is a pet mom to two cats and one dog. After graduating from Miami East High School, she attended Sinclair for education in Dental Assisting and Business. She prides herself on staying active and exercising. In addition, she keeps her mind busy by reading two books a month and working on her upcoming podcast. Ashley has a wonderful boyfriend and a cat. She currently works at Piqua Downtown Winans as a manager. She graduated from Milton-Union High School and has an Associate’s degree in Psychology.

Pitcock also stays active by going on runs, no matter the weather. She enjoys going out with her friend group and watching movies on her days off.

Last but certainly not least are Omar Velazquez and Helga Leap. The pair work together at the Piqua Center. Leap serves as their sales and facility manager while Velazquez is a new team member. Velazquez is married to his wife of 20 years, America Mejia. Together they have two sons and two cats. In his free time, he enjoys collecting toys and DJ-ing.

Leap has been happily married to her husband Glenn for 21 years. Together they have three children and six grandchildren. She graduated from Troy High School and the Upper Valley Career Center, having studied Restaurant and Hotel Operations. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, riding motorcycles and spending weekends outdoors using their camper. Velazquez and Leap are excited to give back to the Piqua community while representing the Piqua Center.

The cast this year is working on perfecting their moves under the instruction of Rick and Judy Bowerman, Liz Maxson and Tammy Bellamy Chaney. To support your dancer(s) of choice, visit piquaartscouncil.org/dancing and select “Donate Now” under their photos.

Tickets are available for purchase here: https://piquaartscouncil.org/dancing. Matinee tickets are $15 each and Dinner tickets are $50 each. For additional information about 2024 Dancing with the Piqua Stars including full dancer bios, the event schedule and last year’s performance, at piquaartscouncil.org/.