The 2nd Annual Junior Shag Dance Team is hosting a Kick-Off Party at TJ’s Nightlife to help raise money for the 2010-2011 Formation Team Season. The team hopes to travel to California, Atlanta, New York, and Paris! Please help support their cause by coming out this party and donating to their efforts!

-The cost is ONLY $10 at the door with TJ’s donating 100% of all door proceed to the Junior Shag Dance Team and it’s endeavors.
-There will be a complimentary dinner, a “Young and Old-er” Mixed Doubles Contest – Contest Coordinator Don Bunn, STEVE BAKER spinning the tunes, a 50/50, a door prize raffle, and a booth set up with items for sale including DVD’s, CD’s, T-shirts, and more!…all for the team!

Then dance till you drop!

So come on out and support a great cause, dance to great music, and party at a great location!

See you there!

-Junior Shag Dance Team

A PACKED HOUSE ATTENDED THE INDUCTION

What a pleasant surprise it was to get a call from Fat Harold Bessent, a Beach Music Legend and Icon to everybody that shags or loves shag music. When Fat Harold told me I had been voted into The Living Legends Association in North Myrtle Beach and that I would be inducted on May 16, 2009 I was thrilled. But, as timing would have it, I was conducting a shag workshop at Peace College in Raleigh on the afternoon of May 16, the day of the induction. Fat Harold said that I could have someone accept the award for me …

“Not a chance I responded, I want to be there to accept it myself!”

So, after finishing a fun workshop at Peace College Alumnae Weekend, Debbie and I took off to North Myrtle Beach for the induction.

The Sand Flea and The Living Legend Association is hosted at Fat Harold’s Beach Club in North Myrtle Beach. Jan Morris is the Chairman of the Legends Committee. The hosts are “Fat Harold” Bessent and Kenneth “Dynamite” McDonald.

Some of the considerations for induction include, 50 Plus years old, long-time survivor of beach lifstyle, and well-know for unique “self”. Some members are dancers, lifeguards and other past beach workers, and long-time frequent beach visitors, but all love the music and are part of the beach history.
SELECTION PROCESS:
First of all you have to be nominated by someone on the nominating committee. Members vote annually on the people on the nomination list. I do not know exactly when I was nominated but this is the year I received enough votes to qualify for induction.

PHOTOS OF THE EVENT: CLICK

Don Just Before Receiving Award

Each of us has many gifts we are called to share with one another. This season, 2008, as they have for the past 9 years, Chris and Barbara Phillips’ family gift came in the form of over 12,000 lights, fantasy scenes of the season, a visit with Santa, and a reminder that the Star of David is as bright today as it was at Christ’s birth.

We gather together to share the true joy of the season with our extended community. Barbara said “Every year there is a special moment that makes the holiday season for Chris and me. We have seen the first exploration of who Santa is through the eyes of a blind child, our neighborhood shepherd and elves helping with the kids who stop by, or the joy of listening to the music of the trumpets and hand bells.”

Thousands come to this magical destination spot in Apex every year as it is now a part of their family’s tradition, just as it is of that of Chris and Barbara. As a Realtor in Wake County, Barbara Phillips, has the opportunity to see many homes in transition. These homes move from every day living to spotless living, from collections of every kind to back to basics, but each Christmas season her home adds an extra living room so that Santa will have room to visit with all who want to share a special moment with him.

 

 Over the years this mission of love has extended to hundreds, through food and monetary donations that are collected for The Emergency Food Pantry in Fuquay Varina.

As stated by Barbara, “By opening our “garage” for Santa’s living room, neighbors in need receive from neighbors who care. Chris and I are thrilled that so many now join us in raising awareness for the hungry in our own community. Children are often excited to tell Santa that they brought their cans of food and placed it under the Christmas tree.”

 

Chris and Barbara gathered a pick up load of food again this year plus $555 dollars for The Emergency Food Pantry. A director for the food pantry said they had been serving around 325 families a month on a steady basis, but now this has increased to over 550 families.
Many of the families are bringing in their kids as they come to pick up food so that the children know where this food is coming from.

“Hard times are hitting us all over the county. This remains an important cause. This year’s Race of Grace, through the Methodist church, will also focus on hunger and will be donating some of the proceeds from this race to the Emergency Food Pantry.”

 

God Bless you Chris and Barbara Phillips. You are truly an All American family.
We are proud to have you in our Shag Lessons. 
Barbara is an agent with Fonville Morisey Realty
Barbara Phillips, Realtor/Broker
Fonville Morisey, 1149 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary, NC 27511
BPhillips@FMRealty.com    (919) 228-6006 (office)

Don & Debbie At The 2008 National Shag Dance Championship
More Photos of National Shag Dance Championship

Update: Debbie and I had a great time at the National Shag Dance Championship at Studebakers in Myrtle Beach. This was the 25th Annual National Shag Dance Championship. I am pleased to say that I was there to dance in the very first one back in 1984. Barry Thigpen has been the promoter and chairperson for this event the entire 25 years and has done a great job. Many members on his committee have served with him the entire time. In addition to this contest, Barry has done so much to promote our dance, The Shag. If you ever get a chance to go to the National Shag Dance Championship, I encourage you to do so. It is held the second weekend in March.

Debbie and I finished in 3rd place in the Master’s Division.  

Original Portion This Item-This weekend is the annual National Shag Dance Championship, the granddaddy of all shag contest. Debbie and I are going to be dancing in the Masters Division. This will be our first shag competition ever together although not my first time in the Nationals. The contest is a lot of fun. Barry Thigpen, the promotor of the contest, does a great job. Debbie and I are really looking forward to it.

The contest is in Myrtle Beach, SC at Studebakers. For more information about the contest visit http://www.shagnationals.com/

If you have any questions about shag lessons or events, please contact me with the form located on my contact page.

Thanks,
Don

CONGRATULATIONS
I would like to extend my congratulations & welcome the newest members of the Shaggers Hall Of Fame. The selections for the 2006 Shaggers HOF inductees was held Shag Attack Weekend, March 17 – 18, 2006 in North Myrtle Beach. Those who were selected were inducted into the Shaggers Hall of Fame in October, 2006. Their names are listed below. When you look at the list, if you know the home town of any of the names listed, please send it to me at don@donbunn.com.

Congratulations to the newest members of the Shaggers Hall Of Fame. These members were inducted into the Shaggers Hall Of Fame in October, 2006.

Female

Debbie Rickard – Thomasville, NC
Kay Young – Charlotte, NC
Barbara Cannon Keiger – Atlantic Beach, NC
Carol Myrick Walker – Durham, NC

Male

Phil Pritchard
Carl Smith
Jimmy “Spider” Kennedy
Glenn Daub

Keepers of the Dance

Nikki Kontulas – Raleigh, NC
Sy Creed

This group were inducted into the Shaggers Hall Of Fame at the Hall Of Fame ceremony the weekend of October 13 & 14, 2006 in North Myrtle Beach.

These members were inducted into the Shaggers Hall Of Fame in October, 2005.

O’Neal Bourne
Candy Brooks
Sandy Lowder
Vanessa Tompkins
Danny Bean
Johnny Barringer
Jeppy McDowell
Rick Shackelford

Charlie Boone Memorial

Walt and Beth Graves

Keepers of the Dance

Michael Norris
George Hamrick
Jessica McAlhany

These members were inducted into the Shaggers Hall Of Fame in October, 2004.

Betty Jean Jernigan
Phyllis Tiller
Cathy Gurley
Mary Lynn Myrick
Ronnie Joyce
Charles Jernigan
Ronnie Duggins
Mack Windham

Keepers of the Dance

Chris Stephenson
Patrick Hiatt
Mandy Holt

These members were inducted into the Shaggers Hall Of Fame in October, 2003.
Curtis Nivens – Greenville, SC
Milton Nowell – Goldsboro, NC
Dave McInnis – Sumter, SC
Ed Tindell – N Myrtle Beach, SC
Susie Beaver – High Point, NC
Mimi Marshburn Benedict – Calabash, NC
Pam Wood Bennett – N Myrtle Beach, SC
Carol Reeves – Charlotte, NC

Charlie Boone Memorial
Bert and Kitty Novotny – Portsmouth, VA

Keepers Of The Dance
Carol Gurley – Raleigh, NC
Kenneth Calcutt – South Carolina

LARGE CROWD ENJOYS THE FUN

Don Bunn was inducted into the National Living Legends of Dance in a ceremony November 2004, at the Little Creek Naval Base, Virginia Beach, VA. Don joined 19 other dancers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Florida, New York and Texas in receiving this prestigious award. AC Williams, good friend of Don and Shag Instructor in Fayetteville (Teaches Shag along with wife Cathy who was inducted in 2006), and good friend, Kathryn Monsour of Fayetteville, were also inducted the same weekend.

The National Living Legends of Dance is an organization that recognizes dancers from all over the country, not only for their dancing ability, but also for their other contributions to betterment of dancing. The process to be selected into the National Living Legends requires the selection committee to accept a recommendation from someone of a person; then the person must receive a formal nomination. After being nominated the candidate must be voted into the National Living Legends of Dance by the selection committee. Once voted into the organization the person is sent a VIP invitation to attend the induction ceremony where they are officially inducted.

The National Living Legends of Dance weekend is all about dancing and the induction ceremony. The first night is party night complete with Music and Gourmet Breakfast Buffet. The party atmosphere continues Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening with a lunch buffet, music and dancing. The dancing is interrupted only long enough on Saturday night for the induction ceremony and then the music is cranked up again. This is a fun weekend.

Many Raleigh Shag Club members attended the event including Debbie Peterson and members of the Shag Class Dance Team, Jimmy Dickens and Sandra Price, John and Susan Leggett.

Don wants to give his special thank you to those from Raleigh that attended the ceremony and to his friends from Fayetteville that were there and supported him during the ceremony. Also, thank you to Berta Lull, Chairman of the National Living Legends of Dance and to others on the committee that supported Don’s nomination.