BIDDEFORD — The hottest ticket on sale right now in Biddeford isn’t for a championship sporting event, movie or a rap concert and it doesn’t cost a fortune. For just $10, participants can spend a Saturday evening doing the Twist, the Watusi, the Swim, the Stroll and the Pony at the 16th Oldies Benefit Dance on March 23 at the Eagle’s Hall in Biddeford.

Ticket sales are limited to 250 and by noon on the first day that tickets were available on Tuesday, more than 100 had already been snatched up.

“This is wildly popular and it’s gratifying that people like the dance, but it’s really all about raising money for the Ronald McDonald House,” said organizer Bruce Martin of Biddeford. “The community deserves a big thank you for supporting this event time after time. It just amazes me how quickly these tickets go.”

Conducted twice each year in March and in October, the dance has become the largest community fundraising effort for Ronald McDonald House in Portland, donating more than $56,398 since its inception eight years ago.

Ronald McDonald House provides comfort for the families of pediatric patients and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of all children. It provides access to quality health care and enables family-centered care ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their child’s care.

Martin says that participants come to the dances to socialize and have fun with friends, but mostly it’s all about dancing to oldies tunes that harkens back to a simpler time and familiar songs they grew up listening to. He has more than 1,600 songs at his disposal as the DJ at the dances and his extensive collection includes songs from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and a few country tunes mixed in too.

“My personal favorite is The Temptations’ song ‘My Girl’ and it’s also my favorite song to dance to,” Martin said. “I also like ‘Oh Girl’ by the Chi-Lites.”

According to Martin, through the years the list of favorites among dancers in Biddeford has proven to be “Locomotion” by Little Eva, “YMCA” by the Village People, “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers, “The Twist” by Chubby Checker and “This Magic Moment” by Jay and the Americans.

“If I play any one of those songs the dance floor will be packed,” Martin said. “‘Unchained Melody’ is really the one song that never fails. Even guys that don’t dance at all are out on the dance floor when that one comes on.”

The dance playlist is extensive and includes smash rock n’ roll hits by everyone from the Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley to Sister Sledge and Marvin Gaye to the Bee Gees and the Bobby Fuller Four. There also will be prizes for a dance contest, trivia questions and oldies videos shown during the event.

If the last dance on Oct. 13 is an indication of how fast tickets will sell out, consider this. Within 14 days of being announced last September, 300 tickets were sold and 81 people were left waiting to buy tickets if someone couldn’t attend.

The March dance runs from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Eagle’s Hall at 57 Birch St. in Biddeford and tickets can be purchased by calling Martin at 284-4692.

— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 or by email at editor@journaltribune.com