INDIANAPOLIS (WISH)-  Eight local “stars” traded their day jobs for the dance floor Saturday night, helping raise more than $127,000 in the fight against a rare childhood disease.

The 4th annual INAD Warriors Gala featured its first-ever ‘Dancing with the INAD Stars’ competition. Participants were paired with professional dancers and spent 20 weeks learning and rehearsing routines before taking the stage.

The evening featured performances ranging from tango and salsa to foxtrot, hustle and polka, along with live and silent auctions.

Circle City Broadcasting’s Melea VanOstrand was among the eight participants in Saturday’s inaugural dance competition. VanOstrand and her professional dance partner performed a tango to “El Tango de Roxanne” after spending several weeks preparing for the event.

Circle City Broadcasting’s Melea VanOstrand at the 4th annual INAD Warriors Gala ‘Dancing with the INAD Stars’ competition. (Photo aired on Circle City Broadcasting)

The gala supports INAD Warriors, an organization inspired by local 6-year-old boy Warner Kays, who was diagnosed with Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy, or INAD, in 2022.

INAD is an ultra-rare inherited neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects children. The disease progressively damages the nervous system, causing children to lose previously acquired abilities including walking, talking and seeing. The average life expectancy for a child with INAD is about 10 years.

Warner’s family has turned his diagnosis into a mission to raise awareness of INAD and money for research aimed at developing treatments and ultimately finding a cure.

By the end of the night, INAD Warriors had raised just over $127,000 to support its mission and the continued fight against INAD.