SANDY HAMILTON IS STEPPING OUTSIDE HER COMFORT ZONE TO HELP OTHERS

Sandy Hamilton and her professional dance partner Trevor Guthrie, will be competing in Dancing With the Stars of Charlotte to Benefit the Pink House on Feb. 28 at Knight Theater.

As one of the Charlotte stars competing in the annual Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte to Benefit the Pink House, Sandy Hamilton is not only learning some new steps, she’s stepping outside her comfort zone.

“The thought of dancing in front of 1,200 people and four judges is intimidating,” Sandy says. “And I’m 73, which probably makes me the oldest dancer they’ve ever had. I am the Super Senior Star! My professional dance partner, Trevor Guthrie, could almost be my grandson. He’s a National Champion, so dancing with him has been an awesome experience.”

During the sold-out event on Feb. 28 at Knight Theater, Sandy will be joined on stage by her fellow stars Mary Margaret Beaver, David Buffie, Tracy Curtis, Julie Gray, Tom Lane-Brady, Liz Moran, August Olson, Vanessa McPherson Sprague, Jamie Satterfield, Lisa Sherrill, Rick Stack and Stephen Wilson.

Each one of them is paired with an award-winning professional dancer from Charlotte Ballroom. For months, they’ve all been practicing their routines and raising money for the nonprofit Carolina Breast Friends and its mission of helping breast cancer survivors.

After their performances, the top stars will take home titles in three categories: Judge’s Choice, Overall Fundraising Winner and Crowd Pleaser.

Sandy has received donations from the family and friends of her and her husband of almost 51-years, Claude. In a sweet show of support, Claude has also been taking weekly dance lessons at Charlotte Ballroom. “He doesn’t want to miss out!,” Sandy says.

The ladies Sandy golfs with at Myers Park Country Club have raised money in her honor. And the manager of the Trina Turk store at SouthPark Mall hosted a shopping party with 20 percent of the proceeds going to the cause.

All this support has added up - Sandy has exceeded her original $30,000 goal by far (on the day we talked to her she had raised almost $60,000 and that number keeps rising).

“I’ve been surprised how easy it has been to raise money, but that’s because so many people are affected by breast cancer, which is exactly why I’m doing this.”

In between her practice sessions, Sandy took the time to answer The O Report’s questions

Being a dancer at this fundraiser is a huge commitment of time and effort. Why did you agree to participate?

The Pink House is a special place. It offers such wonderful, supportive programs for cancer patients. I have so many friends who have faced breast cancer with tremendous courage. It is the least I can do to help raise funds to continue the great work of Carolina Breast Friends and The Pink House.

What has been your favorite part of the process?

Other than raising money, which has been a joy, it’s trying something new. This is definitely new for me. I was never a gymnast or a cheerleader, but I have always exercised, In my 30s and 40s I even taught an exercise class. Even if you exercise you can get lazy. This has kept me on my toes. Before I started rehearsing, some of my clothes were getting a little tight. A nice bonus of all this dancing is that I’ve lost weight. But the best part is the whole experience. There’s no adventure in sitting on the porch. No matter what your age is or where you are in life, we all still need to dream and reach for those dreams, and together we can do miraculous things. Life is short. Don’t give up. Keep dreaming, keep busy and keep trying new things. 

What has been the most challenging?

Remembering the steps and making it look smooth. i never could do a split. I can’t lay my chest on floor. But Trevor taught me that my lack of flexibility isn’t an excuse for not doing things.

Any details you can share about your performance?

I picked a song with a really great message that is meaningful to me. During our first lesson, Trevor started working on the choreography right then and there. We’re still working on the ending. It’s been a real process. All I can tell you is that there will be some surprises!

The O Report publisher Olivia Fortson had a chance to be on the other side of the reporter’s notebook when she was interviewed for southPark magazine’s My Favorite Things feature.

During her 30 years in journalism, including 23 years as a reporter for one of the South’s largest newspapers, The O Report publisher Olivia Fortson has spent her career writing about others. But she had a fun chance to be on the other side of the reporter’s notebook when SouthPark Magazine’s Style Editor, Whitley Adkins Hamlin of The Queen City Style, interviewed her for the magazine’s My Favorite Things feature.

Here’s the complete article, which you can also read at SouthParkMagazine.com:

Olivia Fortson has been a part of Charlotte’s media scene for decades, perhaps most notably as social editor at The Charlotte Observer, where she covered fundraisers, style and fashion for 23 years. “When I was growing up in Spartanburg, S.C., I always knew I would live in Charlotte — it’s my New York City,” Fortson says. “And I always knew I wanted to write about the best Charlotte has to offer as a way to inspire myself and others.” 

Fortson’s latest passion is The O Report, her website and annual magazine that covers fashion, beauty, health and more for men and women 50 and up.

“Now that I’m in my 50s, I want for myself what I want for everyone else — to look and feel my best no matter what my age is going forward.” Along with running her business, Fortson is president of Charity League, a 98-year-old women’s philanthropic organization that serves local children. 

“But all that do-gooding aside, I would be lying if I didn’t mention how much I love Charlotte’s shopping and dining options, too,” she says. “The small-town South Carolina girl in me has never gotten over the excitement of living in a big city.”

Most visited place: 

History and art are two of my interests. I get both of them at once whenever I visit Mint Museum Randolph in the Eastover neighborhood, where I live. If my creative batteries need recharging, all I have to do is walk through its glorious collections and exhibits. Some visitors don’t realize the back of the museum is the facade of Charlotte’s original U.S. Mint built in 1837 during the Carolina Gold Rush. It’s such a special place for me to connect with Charlotte’s past and present that it inspired the plot of a novel I’m writing. 

Dining out: 

Fenwick’s is my club. It’s the size of a trailer, but that’s part of its charm. Owners Don and Catherine Rabb have created a beloved restaurant that serves great American food with a Nawlins flair (Don is from New Orleans). The fried shrimp is my weakness. … When I feel like splurging, I can’t resist the crabcakes at The Palm. My caricature is on the wall, and it’s funny when a diner will do a double take and say, “Hey, that’s you up there!” … I crave the tacos with soy crumbles from The Tipsy Burro. I appreciate that this cantina is packed with cool memorabilia, including signs from the Double Door Inn and Jack Straw’s that remind me of the Charlotte I used to know. 

Beauty must-haves: 

It’s been a gift to be born a redhead, but it does have its challenges. My thick ginger locks require extra care and no one knows that better than my longtime hair stylist Nikki Wilson of Salon J Marco. She’s been my best friend since we were roommates at Queens University of Charlotte, so she’s seen my hair in all its phases. … My monthly tinting sessions with brow and lash expert Shana Mills, co-owner of Apothic Spa, are a necessity. … I trust my fair skin to the lotions, potions and nonsurgical (so far!) treatments from Charlotte Plastic Surgery. It’s important to me that its doctors and nurse injectors are nationally acclaimed and that the practice has been in business for more than 65 years. … I try not to wear a lot of makeup, yet I love going to Ulta at Cotswold Shopping Center in search of new products

Cocktail crazy: 

Do not come between me and The Punch Room’s Fiesta Punch. The fresh orange and lime mixed with tequila, beet ginger kombucha and jalapeño is an incredible combination, but I prefer it without the cilantro garnish. 

Rise and shine: 

I can’t start my day without two large glasses of water with a lot of lemon, a vigorous game of ball with my dog, and reading The Charlotte Observer newspaper. I’m old-fashioned and prefer the print version, but my husband John, a Charlotte native, reads it online. I try not to be a bossy boots, but don’t kid yourself that you can be an informed citizen if you don’t read your hometown’s daily newspaper. 

Shop ’til you drop: 

SouthPark mall is my happy place. When I was growing up, driving to Charlotte to shop there was such a big deal. No matter how many times I enter its doors I’ve never lost that initial feeling of awe. Some of my favorite stores are Dillard’s for its great brands including Karl Lagerfeld Paris; St. John Boutique and its classic investment pieces with a modern twist; L’Occitane for its natural French perfumes and lotions; Neiman Marcus for luxury bags and shoes; Athleta because the athleisure movement is here to stay; and Paul Simon Women, where style-savvy Angela Knowles has helped me pick out some of the most-loved pieces in my wardrobe. 

Off the grid: 

Business owners never really get a day off, but sometimes I have to step away to stay sane. My husband and I will take a day trip to visit our farm in Chester, S.C. There are no buildings, just peaceful rolling land. It’s special to me because he went through a lot of red tape to have a lake built on the property, and he named it Lake Olivia. (Yeah, he’s awesome.) If we have a few days to spare, we head to his family’s vacation home on a mountain range high above Lake Lure. There’s no Wi-Fi, so it’s one of the few places I can truly disconnect. 

Most overlooked: 

Il Grande Disco bronze sculpture near the corner of Trade and Tryon Streets is more than a great work of art. It marks where Charlotte’s original builders used the Masonic principle of the perfect square to create our city’s original four squares (or wards) as an ode to God’s divine creation of the universe. So many people walk right by this spot without realizing how important it is to Charlotte’s physical and spiritual history. 

Words to live by: 

One of my favorite former colleagues, Richard Maschal, used to tell me, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” It’s a reminder to always do your research and don’t just immediately accept that the information being given to you is the truth.