Members of group relish watching show together
By PHYLLIS SIDES
Journal Times | Posted: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 12:00 am
I got a call the other day from someone for whom watching "Survivor" is an event worthy of celebration. Amanda Beaugrand and nine of her friends and relatives watch the show together every week.
They've been watching the show for five or six years, Beaugrand said. Candy Hunt, Jane Thomas, Vicki Heins, Teri Tyler, Lynda Ryan, Kathy Foldy, Kathy Custers, Pat Nygro and Sheri Nicikowski are the other members of the crew.
They alternate hosting the get-togethers - which include dinner and sometimes a little a role playing.
"Once we dressed up like the contestants on the show," Beaugrand said. "It's a chance to spend time together as family and friends."
At the beginning of the season, each person chooses two contestants to root for and puts $2 into the pot, Beaugrand said. At the end of the season, the person who chooses the winning contestant collects the pot and takes possession of a monkey trophy.
Tonight the group will gather at Nygro's house to watch the season finale. The final person was voted off during Sunday's, program making Todd the ultimate survivor.
They'll have dinner and exchange gifts and Heins will collect the trophy and the money, Beaugrand said.
The Joffrey connection
If you make it down to Chicago during the holidays for The Joffrey Ballet's 20th anniversary presentation of "The Nutcracker," you might see a few familiar faces. Jade Ortiz, 12, and her friend, Madisyn Jensen, 11, are part of the children's cast. Both girls live in Racine and are students at Dance Arts Center in Franksville. Jade's mom, Heather, said the girls have worked hard - rehearsing every weekend since the beginning of October - while maintaining their grades in school and making time for regular rehearsals at their local dance studio.
The Joffrey's production of "The Nutcracker" will run through Dec. 30 at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago.
For more information about The Joffrey Ballet, call (312) 739-0120 or visit
http://www.joffrey.com/
Phyllis Sides is a reporter for The Journal Times. This column, about the good stories of good people in Racine County, appears each week. She can be reached at (262) 631-1714 or by e-mail at
psides@journaltimes.com