Wilton Business Owners Will be Stepping out on the Dance Floor for ElderHouse’s 5th Annual Dancing with the Stars Gala

Local Business Owners Will be Stepping out on the Dance Floor for
ElderHouse’s 5^th Annual Dancing with the Stars Gala Event

Norwalk, Conn. – Seven Fairfield County business community leaders are moving their feet to the beat several days a week as their competition dance floor time approaches. They will all be competing in ElderHouse Adult Day Center’s Dancing with the Stars – 5^th Annual Gala Benefit, being held March 24, 2018 at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wilton, CT. Wilton’s Tooher-Ferraris Insurance Group’s COO, Eric Ferraris, and Henri 'Hank' Fatigate, general manager of Wilton's The Little Pub, are among those practicing their steps in preparation for the huge gala event.

ERIC P. FERRARIS, CIC, CRM, CLTC: Tooher-Ferraris Insurance Group

Eric P. Ferraris is chief operating officer and head of business development for Tooher-Ferraris Insurance Group. Since joining the firm in March of 2001, Eric has focused on delivering tailored insurance and risk management solutions to businesses, families, and individuals throughout the Northeast. Along with running the day-to-day operations of the agency, Eric’s focus is on the client-driven approach that makes their customer experience unique. His passion for insurance and risk management becomes apparent to each person he meets.

Eric views the sale of every insurance contract as the beginning of a long-term commitment to deliver superior customer service and high-level product. Eric always looks to build longstanding relationships throughout the community, both personally and in business.

Before joining Tooher-Ferraris, Eric received a Bachelor of Science (Class of ’98) from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Immediately following college, Eric worked at Priceline.com in various capacities within information technology and marketing. This experience provided Eric with a real-world graduate level experience for which he thanks both the incredible people he experienced working with and the entrepreneurial nature of the business.

Eric resides in Darien with his wife and their three children. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family and friends, playing golf, ice hockey, fishing, and fun on the beach.

 

HENRI FATIGATE, General Manager, The Little Pub

Fairfield’s own, Henri (Hank) Fatigate, general manager of Wilton’s The Little Pub restaurant, seemed an obvious contestant invite as he had had a passion for music from a young age and spent hours mimicking his music heroes, including Cab Calloway, the man who coined the term ‘jitterbug,’ and Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, with his ‘Dancing Cheek to Cheek.’ Star struck early on, Hank yearned for a career in show biz, which ultimately culminated in a memorable dance debut before a full house of 2,800 spectators at Carnegie Hall in the summer of 2010! While Hank gave his all to that performance and the experience remains unforgettable, his passion outweighed natural talent and he embarked on a new career direction.

But it was witnessing the generous philanthropic nature of his employers Daneen and Doug Grabe, owners of The Little Pub in Ridgefield, Wilton, Fairfield, and Greenwich, that moved Hank back to the dance floor to volunteer his time, energy, and practiced talent for this very fun 2018 ElderHouse event. He is paired with Norwalk’s Fred Astaire Dance Studio’s dance professional Anna Belyavstseva. All the Fred Astaire award-winning dancers have donated their time to develop and practice routines, honing them to perfection with their partners in this impressive, exciting dance competition.

Born in Yonkers, New York, Hank moved to Fairfield, Conn., while in grade school and graduated from Ludlow High. He still lives in Fairfield and is expecting his entire family — dad Richard, mom Nannette, brothers Jon and Rich, and sister Colette — to be there rooting him on toward a disco ball win!

Dancing with the Stars Gala Benefit is ElderHouse’s largest annual fundraising event, and brings in significant and vital support, which helps to sustain its award-winning program of adult care, socialization, and recreational activities to a senior population living with aging diseases. Funds will be raised through ticket sales, pledges, onsite voting, live auction, and a paddle raise.

For more information on how you can donate, make a pledge to your favorite dancer, or for event tickets, please contact ElderHouse at 203-847-1998 or visit: www.elderhouse.org/events.

About ElderHouse

Celebrating its 40^th year serving the community, ElderHouse Adult Day Center is a highly-regarded nonresidential facility that delivers nurturing, respectful, and responsive hands-on care along with recreational activities to senior adults living with aging diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, stroke, depression, heart disease, and diabetes. ElderHouse provides award-winning adult care and socialization in a safe and nurturing environment. It offers seniors the opportunity to remain as independent as possible, while sharing time with others, receiving necessary medical care, and affording time and peace of mind to caregivers.

For more information on the 5^th Annual Dancing with the Stars Gala Benefit, contact Judie Szuets at 203-858-3359 or email jszuets@optonline.net.