Mrs. Candela, a teacher at Cartersville High School who taught Advanced Placement Literature and retired this year in 2026, and Mr. Candela, also a teacher at Cartersville High School who teaches Drivers Ed and US History, represented Cartersville and performed for the Dancing with The Stars fundraising competition on Saturday, March 7th, 2026! One of our Chipper writers interviewed Mrs. Candela on some important information and details on the event.
Mrs. Candela explained that she and her husband, Mr. Candela, decided to make this big commitment with Dancing with the Stars and represent Cartersville because they’ve been asked multiple times over the past couple of years. After turning it down every time, Mr. and Mrs. Candela decided to finally do it in 2026, since Mrs. Candela had planned to retire after teaching for 26 years. In the interview, Mrs. Candela said that she would like to do it now and “go out with a bang” in honor of her retirement. “My husband and I have been practicing for this big event since January 1st of this year,” Mrs. Candela remarked.
“I heard Dancing with the Stars is not only a competition, but it’s also a fundraiser – could you elaborate more on that?”
“Absolutely. It is raising funds for various things, like Backpack Buddies, which provides food for kids over the weekend who don’t have it at home. We’re raising funds for a clothing and shelter program called the Least of These, which is run by social workers, raising funds for the homeless shelter, and the money that teachers pay to wear jeans or sweats is going towards the funds for these programs as well. We had Trevor Lawrence, a Cartersville alumnus and now famous football player in the US, sign a bunch of souvenirs that we’re putting up for raffle, and that money is contributing to the fundraiser, too. We have to raise about $12,000 for the fundraiser.”
Mrs. Candela explained that although the fundraising requirement is a very large sum of money, she believes that she and her husband are capable of meeting said requirements. The funds from the Mother-Son Valentine dance and money from the Love Shop, a T-shirt brand that teachers wear, also helped fund the competition. The performance will take place at the Clarence Brown Civic Center in Cartersville.
“Are there any final words you want to say about the big event? How are you feeling, Mrs. Candela?”
“I’m both nervous and excited because the choreography is harder to learn than I would’ve thought. However, I think we’ve got it. I feel pretty confident! My husband and I are going to be dancing to a mash-up of multiple songs. The lyrics and overall feelings and tone of the music are going to be based on how my husband and I met, so I’m very eager to present this performance. There’s a mix of contemporary in there and some other genres.”
After Mrs. and Mr. Candela’s legendary Dancing with the Stars performance, the couple raised a total of $45,881.19. The entire amount raised at the event was $439,464. All these funds will go towards various homeless shelters and for kids in need to make the world a better place. Congratulations to the Candela family and thank you, Mrs. Candela, for playing such a big role in teaching at Cartersville High School!
