Team Great Marriages
- Shane & Pam Bennin
- Hal & Kathryn Ribich
- Sebastian & Leonore Schmidt
- John Sharp & Leslie Kohler
- Grant & Dagna Van Der Jagt
How about a Movers & Shakers Gala twist on an old adage... the couple that dances together, stays together!
For the past 12 years, Great Marriages has been serving Sheboygan County with a variety of programs and services to prepare, enrich and strengthen marriages to keep families healthy and together. Their vision is a community of vibrant, strong, joyful, life-long marriages.
So when the Sheboygan-based nonprofit was invited to assemble a team for the Movers & Shakers Gala, they jumped at the chance to educate more people about the great work they’re doing in the community.
"We believe a strong marriage is the pillar of our society, vital to the community in which we live, and that many of today’s societal issues point back to the breakdown of the family," said Great Marriages Executive Director Jocelyn Medrek. "The Movers & Shakers Gala is a great opportunity for us to spread the word about who we are and what we’re doing."
The Great Marriages team is comprised of a group strongly connected to the organization, including four members of the Great Marriages Board and one of their mentor couples:
- Shane & Pam Bennin
- Hal & Kathryn Ribich
- Sebastian & Leonore Schmidt
- John Sharp & Leslie Kohler
- Grant & Dagna Van Der Jagt
Four of the five couples in the group are married to each other, and several have previous dance experience. In fact, Sebastian Schmidt will be making his second appearance in the Gala, having been a participant in the 2009 event.
Their performance will revolve around – you guessed it – a wedding! The mock wedding will include four different dances, each designed to portray one of the values taught by Great Marriages.
For example, a marriage should be about communication and working together, so we may select a waltz because that’s a dance where you have to work together," Medrek said.
Great Marriages uses mentors who are trained and certified in marriage mentoring to provide couple-to-couple sessions. They also offer Date Nights and workshops for singles, engaged and married couples to enrich their relationships and keep couples having fun together.
"When we heard that the Gala would be a team event this year, it really provided the perfect platform for us to tell our story," Medrek said. "Marriage is the ultimate team event, and we’re having a blast getting prepared for what will be a fun night!"
Team Great Marriages’ dance is choreographed by Rod Schulz.