Rebecca Huneycutt
Rebecca W. Huneycutt is a certified nurse midwife. She has had the privilege of caring for women for 15 years and considers it a blessing to be part of the most memorable moments in a woman's life.
For 5 years of Rebecca’s career, she was honored to complete medical exams for the Butterfly House and testify on behalf victims of abuse. She felt honored to earn the trust of these families, and to help them work through the trauma in their lives.
While Rebecca enjoys being a healthcare provider, she finds her proudest accomplishment in life is mothering three self-driven and highly motivated children, Grace, Jacob and Austin. She feels it is truly a gift from God to help guide them and watch them grow into young adults achieving their dreams.
Although no longer a medical provider for the Butterfly House, like so many others within our community, Rebecca continues to have a heart to help children. She feels it is a privilege to be one of the Dancing with the Stars participants raising money for the 2022 season and looks forward to working with Stanly Health Foundation and all the Dancing with the Stars contestants to make this year's event the most spectacular show ever!
Dan Donaghue
Dan has been happily married to his best friend Melody Joy Morgan Donaghue for almost 26 years. They have three amazing daughters; Megan, Callie and Elizabeth. Dan has had the privilege of being an educator for over 20 years in different capacities and now works at West Stanly High School as a Special Education teacher. He finds great joy in helping his students accomplish things that they did not think they could do. Helping students believe in themselves and follow their dreams is one of his favorite endeavors in education.
Dan supports the Butterfly House because he believes every child deserves an opportunity to grow up safe in their environment, chase their dreams and become adults in our community that they can be proud of. Often children just need someone to believe in them- and he is one who believes. Dan encourages you to make a difference in children’s lives as well, by supporting the Butterfly House.
Sabrina Shaw
Sabrina Shaw was born and raised in North Central Florida and graduated from Columbia High School. She has lived in and around Stanly County for 22 years. She graduated from Stanly Community College and holds an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. Sabrina is a hairstylist at Superior Hair Salon in Albemarle. She lives with her husband Gil Shaw and three beautiful children Elliott, Fritzi and Andie. They all enjoy fitness, outdoor activities, spending time with friends and travel. The Shaw family has enjoyed raising money and awareness for this wonderful cause.
Johnnie Little
Johnnie Little was born and raised in Stanly County. He graduated from North Stanly High School and continued his education at Newberry College, earning a degree in Sport Management with a minor in Business. Johnnie continued his passion for health and fitness with becoming a certified personal trainer. He
trains locally at Golds Gym. In his spare time, Johnnie loves outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, and taking walks in nature. Johnnie is son to Crystal Ridenhour and Gene Little.
Hannah Domenech
Hannah Domenech was born and raised in Stanly County and a graduate of Albemarle High School. She currently resides in Albemarle with her cat, Marley. Hannah has been a part of the Uwharrie Bank family for almost 3 years and is currently working as an account executive. This is her first time participating with Stanly County Dancing with the Stars and she is very excited to be a part of such a great cause!
Manuel Ubaldo
Manuel Ubaldo was born and raised in Albemarle, N.C. where he graduated from Albemarle High School in 2016. After high school, Manuel continued his education and studied at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While there, Manuel double majored in Communication Studies and Spanish, graduating in 2020. He now works at Uwharrie Bank, where he is a travel CSR. He’s been part of the Uwharrie family for a little over a year. Manuel enjoys going to the beach, hanging out with his friends/family, spending time outside and playing golf in his free time! This is his first time ever participating in Dancing with the Stars or in a live event of any kind, but is very excited to do so.
Kelly Earley
Kelly Earley was born in Glendale Arizona and moved to Stanly County at a young age. She spent her childhood years playing basketball, volleyball, tennis, and softball. She continued playing softball and tennis through her high school years at West Stanly, where she graduated in 2014. Post high school, she found her love for dentistry and orthodontics. For 4 years, she has worked in a dental office - currently she works at Chad Johnson Orthodontics in Harrisburg. In her spare time, she enjoys loving on her fur child, Matilda Jane; roaming the aisles of TJ Maxx and Target; getting to spend time with her boyfriend, Ethan; reading a good book; or spending time with her best friends. She enjoys the beach and mountains and is the social butterfly of every room she enters. Kelly is a member of "Frog Pond Mafia Team Swag and Sass" with her second father, Benjie Burris. Kelly is so excited to be a part of this year’s Stanly County Dancing with the Stars. The Butterfly House holds a special place in Kelly’s heart, and she is honored to be a part of this year’s excitement!
Benjie Burris
Benjie Burris is a native to Stanly County, a West Stanly High graduate, and lives in the Frog Pond Community in Oakboro. He enjoys small town life, and anything related to the outdoors. He refers to himself as “a man of many projects” and in his spare time, he enjoys starting projects that he fully intends to never finish…! Benjie is an Assistant Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 202 and is a proud dad of two Eagle Scouts. He is honored to have the opportunity to work alongside great leaders and boys that work to better themselves and their community! He enjoys hiking, traveling, fixing things, running heavy equipment, hunting, piddling, gardening, volunteering, and spending time with his wife, Kristy, and children, Cody, Caleb & Callie Grace. Benjie owns Frog Pond Performance, a Napa Gold AutoCare Center located in Oakboro, NC. He holds multiple automotive certifications and titles, but is most proud of the title, “daddy.” His goal in life is to be a role model to his children and to raise them to be “contributors” in all aspects of life!
Benjie hopes to raise awareness and advocate for The Butterfly House and is proud to be partnered with Kelly Earley, whom he loves like a daughter, and to compete against his son, Cody, and family friend Kelly Hill, for this worthy cause. Since he truly does not dance, he hopes to encourage others to step out of their comfort zone to do whatever is needed to promote a supportive community that gives back to others and protects our children! Benjie and Kelly are the “Swag and Sass” team of the two Frog Pond Mafia teams. Both Frog Pond Mafia Teams hope to “kill ya with laughter”!
Kelly Hill
Kelly Hill is a resident of the Millingport Community, where she lives with her husband, Nic, and two children, Nate and Kathryn. Kelly has 20 years of experience in education serving students and families in Stanly County and is currently the Assistant Principal at Central Elementary School. Kelly is a graduate of Albemarle High School and holds both a Bachelor's and Master's in Elementary Education from Pfeiffer University and a Master's in School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has a passion for working with children and hopes to continue the career she loves, leaving a lasting impact on students by encouraging them to be the best version of themselves from an early age. Kelly hopes to see her own children be successful in whatever path they choose after high school and is excited to watch them grow into amazing adults! Kelly enjoys relaxing on the beach, reading, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends. She looks forward to retiring, traveling, and rocking on her front porch with her husband, Nic!
Kelly is very excited to be a part of this competition alongside her "second son" Cody Burris as a member of the Frog Pond Mafia Team "Teach & Twinkle Toes." She appreciates the significance of and perseverance demonstrated by Butterfly House with its continued support of children and young adults in Stanly County.
Cody Burris
Cody Burris resides the Frog Pond Community of Oakboro. He is excited to be competing against his dad, Benjie, and “sister,” Kelly Earley, as a member of the Frog Pond Mafia team “Teach & Twinkle Toes” alongside his “second mom,” Kelly Hill to raise awareness for The Butterfly House, an organization that means a lot to his family.
Cody has a competitive spirit and loves to show up his dad any chance he gets! Cody works alongside his dad at Frog Pond Performance as the Manager, Service Writer and an Automotive Tech and he holds several automotive certifications. He calls himself “a jack of all trades, master of none,” but his family thinks he is pretty handy! Cody graduated from West Stanly High and loves living in a small town. He loves to run the rollback or wrecker, volunteer, fix things, run a sawmill, travel, hang out with his family, friends, and girlfriend. According to his mom, he also acquired his dad’s gift of starting projects he never finishes! He earned his Eagle Scout with Troop 202, and he enjoys being outdoors and seeing the world! Cody also recently joined Endy VFD. He is excited to learn something new and hopes to be a benefit to his community for years to come.
Carla Poplin
Carla grew up in northern Stanly County on a farm with her only sibling MaryBeth. She attended North Stanly High School and then went on to graduate from UNC-Greensboro in 2004. She married Dustin Poplin, an Albemarle native, in 2005. Together they have two children Braden (14) and Sophie (11).
While in college she was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority which introduced her into helping and supporting those who struggle with domestic abuse. The philanthropic mission of Alpha Chi Omega is to aid survivors who are affected by domestic violence. Their efforts included educational programs, donations, and programs to aid victims and their children. Carla has been serving this area of need for many years. When the opportunity to join forces with The Butterfly House was presented to her, Carla jumped right in.
She is passionate about the fact that community is what you make it. Carla feels we all play a role in how our community functions and you must become a part of making it a better place for everyone. She serves on several local boards such as the Downtown Holiday Home Tour, Nehemiah Project Covenant of Love, Fishing for Autism Awareness Planning Board, Bows for Brinn Committee, and has helped with numerous community fundraisers and events. This will be Poplin’s fourth year competing and or exhibition dancing in the Dancing with the Stars event.
Mrs. Poplin is currently the co-chair of the Stanly County Board of Education where she also serves as the chair of the Policy Committee, and a member of the Facilities, Instructional, Marketing, Community Engagement, and Safety committees. Carla has also been appointed to the North Carolina School Boards Association legislative committee. This year’s legislative committee is comprised of the NCSBA Board of Directors and ten at-large school board members who were nominated by their school and appointed by the NCSBA president. The members of this committee will present information that will lead to the adoption of the association’s legislative agenda. Carla looks forward to advocating for the students, staff, and parents of Stanly County.
Carla is the Community Resource Coordinator for the local non-profit Nehemiah Project Covenant of Love. Carla’s shared passion for community service and her love of giving back prompted her to seek out an organization like Nehemiah to serve her community. The Nehemiah Project exists to meet the needs of those in our community who suffer, and are hurting, by coming alongside them to love, support, mentor, and to give hope and a sense of purpose. The project started in the hearts of individuals who have a passion to see true change for those who are often forgotten within their communities. This year Carla has teamed up with the founder of the Nehemiah Project, Paul Peters, for the duo called “Sparkle and Spunk”.
Carla enjoys traveling to new and interesting areas, spending time at the lake and beach, and making memories with her family. She also decorates homes for individuals and businesses for the Christmas holiday season. Be on the lookout for some amazing fundraisers to come from this team “Sparkle and Spunk” in the near future.
“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.”
– Winston Churchill
Paul Peters
Paul was born in Carbondale, Illinois to George and Doloros Peters. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, he attended Homewood Flossmoor where he was involved in gymnastics. Paul attended and received a Bachelor of Science at the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana, where he studied Psychology. He attended seminary at Southern Evangelical Seminary studying Apologetics, and served as a Chaplain at the Schenectady, NY jail. Paul also served in the Army for 8 years as a chemical officer. A proud father of three amazing kids, Paul lives in Albemarle. He is owner of Covenant Case Management Services, serving folks with Disabilities throughout the state of North Carolina. In addition, Paul owns 4 Rivers Outdoors, based in Albemarle; Special Blendz Ice Cream/Sandwich Shop in Shelby and Gastonia; Revive Therapy, co-owns Sweet Escapes Ice Cream Shop and is Founder of the Non-profit, Nehemiah Project, based in Stanly County. The Nehemiah Project serves veterans, the homeless, seniors, those struggling with addiction, those diagnosed with mental health and developmental disabilities, those identified as at-risk children, and domestic violence victims. Paul is author of “Discovering and Embracing your Life Purpose” and recently finished his second book, “The Ways of Wisdom”. His passions are reading, teaching, speaking, writing, traveling, serving, and helping others find their purpose in life and living it out.
Tammy Coble
Tammy Coble was raised in Stanly County. She attended West Stanly High school and continued her education at Stanly Community College. She teaches cosmetology at Stanly Community College and has recently become a real estate agent with Divine Real Estate and Boutique in Oakboro. She has two children, Alexandrea Hatley and Gregory Harwood. In her free time, she loves having fun with her family and friends.
Amanda Wooten
Amanda began her adult life as a stay-at-home mom to four beautiful children but transitioned into education. She was band director at West Stanly Middle School for over a decade, having a master’s degree in Instrumental Music, a bachelor’s degree in Music Education, and a minor in Music Performance. Although she loved education, Amanda decided to make the switch to Real Estate because the idea of helping others find their first homes or forever homes sounded like exciting and humbling experience. Through real estate, Tammy and Amanda have grown to be great friends and are excited to dance together for such a worthwhile cause. Outside of real estate, Amanda enjoys spending time with her family, especially her three amazing grandchildren.
Jennifer Flowe
Jennifer grew up in Locust, NC where she graduated from West Stanly High School. After high school, Jennifer attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earned a degree in Elementary Education. She began her teaching career in Stanly County Schools in 1998 at Oakboro Elementary School as a Kindergarten teacher. During this time, she was also a volunteer EMT / Firefighter with Locust Fire Department. After working several years in the school system, she had an opportunity to join the City of Concord Fire and Life Safety as a Life Safety Educator. She was able to combine her love of teaching with her passion for fire safety.
After several years, she returned to Stanly County Schools where her teaching career continued in 7th and 8th grade at Running Creek Elementary. During this time, Jennifer attained her Masters in Educational Leadership from Wingate University. She has been an assistant principal in SCS and currently serves as the Director of Safety and Security. This position has once again combined her passion for life safety with her passion for serving and caring for the students of Stanly County. As the Director of Safety and Security, Jennifer ensures that staff and students have all the necessary knowledge and resources to maintain a safe and secure learning environment.
Jennifer has two daughters. Brooklyn attends Wingate University and Jessalyn is a student at West Stanly High School. Jennifer loves spending time with her family, hanging out with her dogs, and traveling. Her favorite quote is a Winnie the Pooh quote by A.A. Milne: "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
Cameron Harrington
Cameron grew up in Endy, NC and graduated from West Stanly High School in 2008. After high school, Cameron attended Stanly Community College's Basic Law Enforcement Training and began his Law enforcement career with Rowan County Sheriff's Office in 2012. Throughout his career, Cameron has worked with numerous agencies in Mecklenburg and Rowan counties and in 2019 he returned to Stanly County to work for the Albemarle Police Department. Cameron has risen through the ranks of the Albemarle Police Department and currently serves as a member of the departments SRT and Honor Guard Teams. For the past two years, Cameron has been assigned to Albemarle High School as a School Resource Officer.
After five years together, Cameron married his wife, Peyton, in April of this year.
Monica Faust
Monica Faust is a born and bred native of New London, NC. In 2000 she left the safety and shelter of her hometown to live for 5 years in sunny California. During college Monica traveled extensively and lived for 6 months in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the summer of 2005, Monica joined a program called Mission Year and through that ministry spent the next 8 months in Philadelphia, PA. Monica met her husband, Jimmy, while back in New London for the wedding of a close friend. Monica and Jimmy now share 3 girls, ages 12, 10, and 8. Monica has been a stay-at-home mom since 2009. She has been President of Richfield Elementary PTO for 3 years, coordinated and created new children’s ministries at her church, and has been involved in numerous volunteer projects. Good coffee, a nice glass of wine, a good book, and great conversation are some of her favorite things. Though Monica has fond memories of those California sunsets, she truly believes nothing’s finer than to build a home in Carolina.
Don Pettit
Don Pettit and his wife, Cheryl, moved back to Albemarle in 2020. Don worked for Alcoa for 32 years retiring in 2006 and worked at Badin Works, 1989-1998, as Maintenance, Engineering and Procurement Manager before being transferred to Knoxville, TN. Don and Cheryl have two children: Erin and her husband, Brett, live in Charlotte and Erin works at CPCC; and Neil and his wife, Nikki, live in Asheville and Neil works for Mission Hospital Group.
Don is an Air Force veteran and while stationed in San Angelo, TX, met his future wife, and after a year in Vietnam, 1967-1968, were married in September, 1968. Don graduated from the University of Missouri in 1974 with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Thanks to Kathy Teague McCollister, a fellow Uwharrie Player, Don started a tradition of about 30,000 Christmas lights on his house and thus has two nicknames: Griswold and Sparky. Don is a member of First Baptist Church Albemarle. Don enjoys family, singing, theatre, golf, gardening, building ramps, mentoring to youth, and helping others. Don is on the Board of OASIS, Friends of Stanly County Senior Center, and, Crisis Assistance. Don has been in multiple Uwharrie Player plays such as Cotton Patch Gospel, Music Man, Dracula the Musical, Sound of Music, and, Foot Loose with the Talent Company, among others. The last time Don danced on stage was Shapoopee in Music Man. Don looks forward to dancing with partner, Monica Faust, for the Butterfly House.
Brian and Karissa Johnson
Brian Johnson and his wife, Karissa, live in Albemarle. Brian is originally from Albany, New York, and moved to North Carolina in 2013. Karissa hails from New Haven, Connecticut, moving south in 2016. Together, they are senior pastors of Perfecting Life Global Ministries, located in Albemarle. In addition, Brian is a Chaplain with Albemarle Police Dept. Karissa works as an administrative assistant for enhanced services with Monarch. Strong, driven community supporters of local agencies such as the Butterfly House, Brian and Karissa are first-time dancers in this event, and are extremely excited to hit the dance floor in support of such a worthwhile organization.