Lawyers and business services staff at Burges Salmon have raised over £45,000 by putting on their dancing shoes for the firm's Charity of the Year, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC).
The Strictly Legal dance championship, which took place at the firm's One Glass Wharf head office last night (4 December), saw six couples and four groups compete for two sought-after Strictly Legal 2014 titles.
Contesting the groups prize were teams from IT, Legal Support/HR, Finance and Secretarial who shook, rattled and rolled their way through hip hop, rock 'n' roll, disco and the belly dance.
Dances featured in the couples' competition were the Argentine Tango, Paso Doble, American Smooth, Charleston, Cha Cha Cha and Samba.
The top two couples and best two groups went head-to-head in a glittering final. At the end of the night the HR team 'Jive Bunnies' triumphed with their energetic rock 'n' roll routine while lawyers Dominic Davis and Rhian Wood took the couples crown for their sultry Argentine Tango. Scoring was based on a combination of the judges' scores, the amount each raised on JustGiving and donations made by the audience on the night for their favourite dance.
GWAAC's mascot, Charlie the Critical Care Bear, presented the winners' awards. The amount raised included the proceeds of a lively Promises Auction led by auctioneer Toby Pinn from Clevedon Salerooms. Lots sold on the night included a weekend with a Mercedes SLK and the Life in Cold Blood storyboard signed by David Attenborough. Donations from clients also contributed to the overall total.
'The support from people inside and outside the firm for last night's dance event was incredible. Raising such a huge amount has only been possible as a result of the efforts of numerous people in staging this event. We are particularly grateful to dance coaches Michele Webber, from Dance Factory Bristol, and Jodie Selby, head of Sway Dance also in Bristol, whose expertise and enthusiasm helped the dancers put on the performances of their lives,' said Burges Salmon senior associate, Jamie Cameron, who masterminded the event with the help of solicitor Meg Summers.
Couples dancing for Burges Salmon were lawyers Dominic Davis and Rhian Wood, David Hall and Kari McCormick, Ross Fairley and Sally Jupp, Nick Churchward and Liz Dunn, Tim Ilston and Caroline Harwood, Adrian Martin and Kate Redshaw.