On August 26, 2010, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences (FHCHS) received a scholarship donation from the Femmes de Coeur (Women of Heart) organization. Representatives from Femmes de Coeur visited the FHCHS campus and held a signing ceremony during the College's faculty/staff PUSH week meetings.

The Femmes de Coeur developed and organized the "Let Us Entertain You" event to benefit Central Florida's four nursing programs at Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences, University of Central Florida, Seminole State College, and Valencia Community College. Since its beginning in 2008, the event has donated over $30,000 to each of the four programs.

The event is styled after the popular television program "Dancing with the Stars." A group of local celebrities are paired with professional dance instructors and compete against each other. Following the celebrity/pro competition, the schools take to the dance floor! Following the same format as the celebrity/pro competition, a dance instructor is paired with an instructor from one of the four nursing programs. Janice Polizzi was the FHCHS nursing program representative.

The winner is determined using a formula of judges' scores and the votes of the audience. The audience votes with their dollars! The more money contributed to a dancer the more "votes" that dancer receives.

The competition is not easy! Many couples spend 40 to 50 hours preparing for their dance, often juggling jobs, family, and other obligations. Local dance stores donate costumes, shoes, and expertise all in an effort to bring professionalism and polish to each dancer's performance.

Femmes de Coeur is an Orlando-based, not-for-profit volunteer organization comprised of a unique group of community women volunteering time and sharing a common goal to serve the needs of the community.

The 2011 "Let Us Entertain You" event is scheduled for Sunday, May 8. For more information visit their website at www.femmesdecoeur.org.