Dancing with Saville Breaks Fundraising Record as Demand for Services Grows

Broadway musical-themed competition raised $40,205 as child advocacy center navigates $212,000 federal funding reduction

Chris Peters

Dec 08, 2025 - 11 min read

Kristi Riley and Chris Peters perform "They Both Reached for the Gun" from the musical Chicago during Dancing with Saville on Saturday at the Seretean Center Concert Hall. The pair won first place in the judges' competition at the fifth annual fundraiser, which raised a record $40,205 for The Saville Center for Child Advocacy. Riley competed in the event for the second time, while Peters, founder and editor of The Stillwegian, made his Dancing with Saville debut. – Photo by Landry Bledsoe/Stillwater Chamber of Commerce

Dancing with Saville Breaks Fundraising Record as Demand for Services Grows — Kristi Riley and Chris Peters perform "They Both Reached for the Gun" from the musical Chicago during Dancing with Saville on Saturday at the Seretean Center Concert Hall. The pair won first place in the judges' competition at the fifth annual fundraiser, which raised a record $40,205 for The Saville Center for Child Advocacy. Riley competed in the event for the second time, while Peters, founder and editor of The Stillwegian, made his Dancing with Saville debut. – Photo by Landry Bledsoe/Stillwater Chamber of Commerce

The Saville Center's fifth annual Dancing with Saville fundraiser raised a record $40,205 Saturday, with nine pairs of local "stars" competing in Broadway musical-themed dance performances at the Seretean Center Concert Hall on Oklahoma State University's campus.

"$40,205. Wow, so exciting. We didn't know," said Heather Houle, executive director of The Saville Center. "It was a lower ticket sales year. But a larger funding, so it was amazing."

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