On Saturday, the Brandes’ will be part of the 2026 Dancing Like The Stars sixth annual gala to benefit suicide prevention and mental health awareness, sponsored by 2B Continued at the Glencoe City Center.

The event will feature 12 couples from Brown, Carver, McLeod, Nicollet, Renville, Sibley, and Wright counties. They worked with a professional choreographer to learn a dance routine to participate in dance competition that raises money and mission awareness for 2B Continued’s mission.

Sue Brandes said she and her husband became involved in the event last fall.

“Last November, 2B Continued Executive Director Tammy Diehn asked Jeff and I if we’d be interested in being one of the 12 couples in Dancing Like the Stars, their biggest fundraiser of the year,” said Sue Brandes. “We’re really passionate about mental health awareness and suicide prevention. We lost our 19-year-old son, Carter, to suicide in November 2021. It was hard to say ‘no’ because of our story. We want to continue his legacy forward.”

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Jeff and Sue Brandes of New Ulm rehearse at The New Ulm WELLness Collective for the ‘26 Dancing Like The Stars Gala to Benefit Suicide Prevention and Suicide Awareness. They will participant in dance competition with 11 other area couples to benefit suicide prevention and mental health awareness April 11 in Glencoe.

Sue and Jeff began pre-event fundraising in early February. They’ve topped $40,000 in funds raised with an original $10,000 goal.

“We’re so humbled and very blessed by all the support from the New Ulm, Courtland, Nicollet and Sleepy Eye areas,” said Sue Brandes. “The New Ulm American Legion which includes the Legion Riders, Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion and the VFW in New Ulm and the Sleepy Eye Servicemen’s Club got behind us.”

Jeff Brandes said he likes the fact that 2B Continued fundraising stays local and that they work with more than two dozen area schools at no cost.

“They’re really reaching out, offering free training for students, staff, administration and veterans, police and fire departments, first responders, farmers, agriculture works, anybody,” said Sue Brandes. “We’ve been able to talk to a lot of people about 2B Continued’s mission and our lives. It’s been a really good experience. Saturday will be a really fun night.”

Last year, more than 62,000 people were reached by 2B Continued programs.

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Jeff and Sue Brandes of New Ulm rehearse at The New Ulm WELLness Collective for the ‘26 Dancing Like The Stars Gala to Benefit Suicide Prevention and Suicide Awareness. They will participant in dance competition with 11 other area couples to benefit suicide prevention and mental health awareness April 11 in Glencoe.

Tickets to the live show are sold out but live stream video watch parties are set for 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at a number of sites including the New Ulm American Legion, Swany’s Pub, Courtland; and the Sleepy Eye Servicemen’s Club. See the 2B Continued website for more watch party locations.

Star couples include the Brandes’, Adam and Karlyn Armbruster, Sleepy Eye; Jake and Taylor Behnke, Le Sueur; Trevor and Amanda Berg, Cokato, Larry and Deb Dreier, Norwood-Young America; Pastor Matt and Sarah Hausken, Olivia; Mike and Michelle Kiefer, Hutchinson; Kyle andf Brittany Krusenstjerna, Waconia; Daryl and Marilee Peterson, Gibbon; Ted and Therese Salonek, Montrose; Brian and Heather Stockman, Silver Lake; and Luke and Alyssa Walford, Chaska.

Each couple is competing to raise funds for 2B CONTINUED, a Glencoe-based, non-profit dedicated to suicide prevention and mental health awareness. All proceeds support the lifesaving work of 2B CONTINUED.

Diehn and the 2B Continued board seek couples with little or no dancing experience, are least age 21 and not a first-degree relative of a board member, employee or spouse.

To vote for your favorite couple and for more information, visit www.2bcontinued.org.