Lara Cooper/Daily News 'Dancing with Bowling Green's Own' contestants Brooke Summers and Tyler Reed wait with host (ask Rachel for name) for the judges' verdicts after their swing dance during last night's event.

WBKO’s Laura Rogers hit her head on partner Shawn Finney’s butt as he tried to pull her between his legs during a rehearsal, prompting them to drop the stunt from their routine.

Tyler Reed, paired with WUHU 107’s Brooke Summers, had about three weeks of experience when he was tapped to be Summers’ &#8220expert” partner, so the two learned to swing dance together.

And Anna Irons learned how to leapfrog when WBKO’s Brandon Lokits took a running start, placed his hands on her shoulders and vaulted over her head – both in rehearsal and on the stage Tuesday night.

These and other potentially embarrassing secrets were broadcast in a series of vignettes about local celebrities and their dancing partners during Tuesday night’s &#8220Dancing With Bowling Green’s Own,” a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Between dances – 10 personalities from WUHU, WBKO and Bella’s Salon and Spa were paired with professionals from Dance Images – contestants appeared on the screen to talk about practicing, issue challenges to fellow dancers and explain the trials and tribulations teams went through while learning to dance.

But behind the lighthearted atmosphere of the competition was the constant reminder of why the fundraiser was happening: Three-year-old Tyler, a Fort Campbell boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and his wish to go to the beach this summer.

This morning, organizers were still tallying funds raised from admission tickets and the silent auction, but Summers said they were nearing $5,000, money that will be used to send Tyler, his parents and sister to Outer Banks, N.C. in June.

It costs about $6,000 to grant a child’s wish, said Karrie Harper, development associate with Make-A-Wish of Kentucky and southern Indiana. Children ages 2 1/2 to 18 with life-threatening illnesses are eligible for wishes, which can be to meet someone, go somewhere, be something or have something. Fundraisers like Tuesday night’s event are critical to the success of Make-A-Wish, as are their volunteers, who work to provide children with &#8220hope, strength and joy,” she said.

Click here for Daily News video of the dancing.

A legion of supporters from Bella’s Salon and Spa were among the first to enter the Downing University Center theater, carrying noisemakers, pom-poms and shiny stars painted with good-luck slogans for dancer and co-owner Beth Hazel. Amanda Flynn of Bowling Green, a receptionist at the spa, said &#8220everybody and their families” turned out to support Hazel, who danced the swing with Dave Curran.

&#8220It’s for a great cause, No. 1, and we’re all a really close-knit bunch anyway, so to get out and do something outside of work is really great,” said Flynn, holding a star that said &#8220Beth is Bella.” &#8220We’re not a quiet group, so don’t expect us to be quiet.”

As the theater filled with excited audience members, dancers and their partners goofed off backstage, adjusted each others’ outfits and practiced their dance steps. Elizabeth Slattery, a dance instructor with Dance Images and WBKO anchor Gene Birk’s partner, said she’s supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation since her cousin, who had childhood leukemia, had her wish to go to Disney World granted.

&#8220It’s not just granting the wish, it’s granting the wish with all the ribbons and bows,” Slattery said.

Teaching competitors to dance over the last four weeks has been &#8220chaos, but organized chaos,” Slattery said, adding that conflicting schedules meant some teams could only practice early in the morning, late at night or on weekends.

&#8220I’ve loved it,” she said. &#8220If we do this next year, make sure I’m on board because I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Lokits who, along with Irons, wowed the judges during their performance, admitted to a slight case of butterflies backstage.

&#8220It’s scary to perform in front of real people instead of a camera,” he said. &#8220Real people can throw things.”

In the first round of competition, men performed the tango while ladies did the swing, sometimes incorporating props – like WBKO’s Cliff Cothern, who donned geeky glasses and a perpetually delighted expression as he tangoed with Jane Embry Watts to the tune of &#8220Whatever Lola Wants.” WUHU’s Roxy Morgan did a cartwheel during her swing dance with partner Alex Koller. Shane Holinde, also of WBKO, and his partner Hannah Slattery staged a swordfight in the middle of their performance, while Birk and Elizabeth Slattery earned the only perfect score for their steamy tango.

Judges for Tuesday’s event – Alan Austin, on-air personality at The Beaver; Tamara Evans, WBKO weekend anchor and reporter; and audience member Elaine Goad – had score cards from 1 to 10 at their disposal, although all three were kind enough not to let scores dip below an 8. Goad, a former ballroom dance teacher from Bowling Green, won the chance to be the third judge in the silent auction and said she was excited to support such a good cause.

&#8220I just thought it would be a cool thing to do,” said the self-professed &#8220 ‘Dancing with the Stars’ freak,” who also won a dance with Big Red in the auction. &#8220I’m so glad this happened – this is really neat.”

With the help of the judges, the 10 teams were whittled to four – Birk and Elizabeth Slattery, Lokits and Irons, WBKO’s Courtney Lassiter and partner Nicholas Slattery and WUHU 107’s Adam Winter and partner Ashley Long, who won an audience scream-off against Lokits and Irons to take home the trophy.

&#8220It feels very weird, but honestly the best thing about tonight is that we raised a lot of money for Tyler,” Winter said following the competition. &#8220Win or not – that’s all kind of secondary.”

His partner agreed.

&#8220I’m really excited, but Adam’s right – the most exciting part of it is what we’re here for,” she said.