Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

'Milwaukee Dancing Grannies' Devastated After Members Are Killed In Waukesha Parade Crash

'Milwaukee Dancing Grannies' Devastated After Members Are Killed In Waukesha Parade Crash
MIlwaukee Dancing Grannies/Facebook

A beloved dancing troupe in Wisconsin known as the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies was devastated after three of its members were killed after being struck by a speeding SUV at Waukesha, Wisconsin's annual Christmas parade.

Every year, locals gather in the town of Waukesha to watch marching bands, cheerleaders, and various performing groups in santa hats parade down Main Street to kick off the holiday festivities.


But tragedy befell Sunday's holiday event when an SUV plowed through the parade route, killing at least five people and injuring 48 others.

Among the victims were three members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, who authorities later identified as 79-year-old Virginia Sorenson, 71-year-old Lee Owens and 52-year-old Tamara Durand.

A fourth victim, Wilhelm Hospel, 81, was not a member of the troupe but helped out with their shows as a driver.

The fifth victim was Jane Kulich, 52, who was not associated with the group.

According to local news, Kulich was an employee at a local branch of Citizens Bank.

Following the tragedy, the bank issued a statement, saying an unnamed employee "was walking with our parade float" when she was struck and killed.

@MidnightHooey/Twitter

Sorenson was the group's longtime choreographer.

"Owens led the charge in the front and Durand was the newest member," according to CBS58.

Sorenson's husband of 60 years, David Sorenson, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about how much his wife enjoyed working with the Grannies.

"What did she like about it? Everything. She liked the instructing. She liked the dancing and the camaraderie of the women. She liked to perform."



The group grew out of an exercise class in 1984, and many of its members—mostly ranging in ages from their mid-50s to mid-70s—have cycled through the group over the years.

To become a qualifying member, there is one requirement.

You have to be a grandmother.


On Monday, the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies released the following statement on Facebook:

"The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies are devastated by this terrible tragedy with of loss of life and injuries in the Waukesha Christmas parade."
"Our group was doing what they loved, performing in front of crowds in a parade putting smiles on faces of all ages, filling them with joy and happiness."





The group continued describing how much joy participating in the parade brought to members, as the experience "brought smiles to their faces and warmed their hearts."

"Those who died were extremely passionate Grannies. Their eyes gleamed.....joy of being a Grannie. They were the glue....held us together."
"Our hearts are heavy at this most difficult time, as more information and updates become available it will be posted."
"Please keep them their families, friends, the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies and everyone who lives have forever changed in your thoughts and prayers."



The SUV involved was located and a person of interest is reported to be in custody.

Police said the male suspect was acting alone when he allegedly fled from a domestic dispute. He was not being pursued by the police at the time of the crash and he appeared to not know any of the participants or event attendees when he barreled through the parade route.

Officials say the number of victims could change.

More from Trending

Screenshot of Stephen Colbert
CBS

Stephen Colbert Makes Somber Plea To Americans In Wake Of Charlie Kirk's Death

Late-night host Stephen Colbert had a somber message for Americans as he addressed the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk, stressing that "political violence only leads to more political violence."

Kirk died after an unidentified gunman shot him in the neck as he—ironically enough—mocked victims of gun violence at an event in Utah Valley State University. Kirk's murder has galvanized the far-right, with President Donald Trump and his surrogates claiming without evidence that rhetoric from Democrats is responsible for Kirk's death.

Keep ReadingShow less
a woman sunbathing on rocks.
a person sitting on a towel on a beach
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

People Share The Weirdest Flexes They Heard Someone Say With A Straight Face

It is never attractive to gloat.

Even so, some people can't help but brag, or "flex" as it is sometimes known, about certain accomplishments or attributes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @thedowntheredoc's TikTok video
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok

TikToker Hilariously Calls Out Target After Champion Pants Feature Awkwardly-Placed Front Pleat

Sometimes you can just tell when something was designed *for* women, but was not actually designed *by* women.

Take, for instance, the new pleated pants available at Target from the Champion clothing line. While there's nothing wrong with pleated pants and they certainly have a suitable spot in the workplace, the latest rendition of Champion pleated pants are, shall we say, NSFW.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kaicutch's Instagram video
@kaicutch/Instagram

Woman Flips Her Car After Belting Out Ironic Britney Spears Lyric In Wild Viral Video

Whether we want to admit it or not, we've all had our fair share of carpool karaoke and maybe even imagined our car as our own personal recording studio.

But TikToker and Instagrammer Kaitlynn McCutcheon may have gotten too into her performance of Britney Spears' classic, "Hit Me Baby, One More Time," when the road and her car both said, "Bet."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@lynnshazeen's TikTok video
@lynnshazeen/TikTok

Woman Goes Viral After Revealing How Her Obsession With Matcha Landed Her In The Hospital

Let's be honest: Too much of anything isn't good for us. It's all about the balance!

But the media and social media trends have taught us that certain things are really good for us, encouraging us to be like the "very mindful and very demure" girls and take care of ourselves. One such example is drinking more matcha, especially if you really like coffee or think you have a caffeine addiction.

Keep ReadingShow less