CINCINNATI (WLWT) – Her unexpected dance moves with Bengals player Dre Kirkpatrick made millions from all over the world fall in love with her.
Irma Schafer, 95, might just be the good luck charm the Bengals need.
Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick hosted a tailgate party at a nursing home before tonight's game. This lady stole the show when Snoop Dogg came on… @WLWT @DreKirkSWAG pic.twitter.com/LSPSs3D4P5
— Brandon Saho (@BrandonSaho) September 13, 2018
There’s not many dance floors you won’t see Schafer on, showcasing her vibrant dance moves.
At Loveland Healthcare, she’s known for cutting rug despite being 95 years young.
“Yeah, I am an old lady, but I don’t feel that way!” Schafer said. “I was born January 27,1923.”
“Irma has a good spirit! She is energetic and always wants to dance,” Loveland Healthcare activities director Vanessa Harris said.
Schafer captured millions of people’s attention at the center’s tailgate party, where she danced with Kirkpatrick to popular hip hop music.
It was there she met an unlikely friend in Kirkpatrick.
“Oh man! I was like, this lady really can move! It motivated me also. I was preparing for a game. Just to see how she was still able to move around. Still be active, and it prepared me for the game and gave me the extra boost that I needed,” Kirkpatrick said.
Originally a farm girl from Laurel, Ohio, dancing became like therapy for Schafer.
“I had polio when F.D.R. had it. I was crippled for a while. I was in Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati. Somehow, the good lord took me through it! I was able to dance! I exercised and did dance,” Schafer said.
Apart from dance, Schafer’s loved the Bengals for decades.
“When the Bengals played, I used to keep score all the time, you know. We lived in the country and we had a radio, so that was before we even had television,” Schafer said.
Orange and black runs deep through Schafer’s veins. Just days before she met Kirkpatrick, she was barely able to get out of bed — a hard sight to imagine after seeing her light up a room.
“Everything is positive! Her energy is great! It brings the best out of people! She is not afraid to be herself! That is what it is all about. Being yourself,” Kirkpatrick said.
This time, her new friend is back for more, now with a live band. They reunited at the same place where they first met.
“I am going to try to keep up with her!” Kirkpatrick said.
“He is good!” Schafer said.
“She is a professional!” Kirkpatrick said.
“I just jitter bugged since I was 5 years old,” Schafer said.
Schafer doesn’t believe she’s a worldwide sensation.
“I just like to be plain old Irma,” Schafer said.
“Just like me! I like to be plain old Dre,” Kirkpatrick said.
With such a big game on the line, Schafer has become a bit of good luck charm.
“I wish them all the luck in the world and I hope they will go back and play in the championship and beat everybody,” Schafer said. “Who Dey!”
Schafer is gearing up for her 96th birthday.
Kirkpatrick said he needs to get her a jersey with his number to wear on game days.
