Laurie VanSloten Morley and Ryan Maurer share an Albion College connection. The two graduated with Bachelors of Arts degrees in Economics & Management from that fine institution in 2000. Since then, they have remained good friends, especially because Laurie is a long-time friend of Ryan’s wife, Sara Shunk, a Sault Ste. Marie native, who also graduated from Albion the same year.
Laurie is married to Scott Morley of Plumer’s Plumbing fame, and they have two children, Raya and J.R. She works as a media consultant for 9&10 News, is an online instructor for Bay Mills Community College, has been a Rotarian since 2008, is involved in Women in Business, and serves on the Rudyard Christian School Board.
Ryan is a computer programmer for Comerica Bank and is the owner of Maurer’s Little Meat Shop. He has been active in Sault Area Little League for the past ten years, is a member of the Calvary Baptist Church praise team, and is a guitarist in a local band called Sara and the Chumps. He and Sara have two children, Hannah and Brent.
Laurie asked Ryan to partner up for Dancing with the Stars a few years ago but it wasn’t until now that all the “stars” aligned for the pair to do so. The compassionate care that Laurie’s father-in-law, Jon Morley, received at the Robert and Helen Ball Hospice House before his death in May was the primary impetus for the pair to put up their names for consideration. They learned in June that they had been selected. Since then, the pair have been brainstorming fundraisers, special events, and entertainment schemes (oh yeah, and practicing dancing!), all to make the 2019 Hospice of the EUP Dancing with the Stars an event no one will ever forget.