Dance! Dance! Dance!

$12,460 was the finally count of the twelve-hour Mambo Room dance-a-thon  March 7, 2009. At 11am the music started and hundreds of feet strutted to the warm-up beat for the studio’s first dance for a cause. 13-year-old Emily Walters was a major part of the cause.
The teen and mom thanked the energetic crowd of dancers for caring about them as many shared words of hope and good health.

“It’s amazing! To see how so many people have come out for someone they don’t even know, it’s such a miracle to me. I’m just so grateful,” Mary Walters said.

Emily, diagnosed at age two with Cystic Fibrosis, has undergone seven operations due to the disease. The thought of the lung transplant surgery is “scary” but she’d like to be over with it. When asked about her opinion of the dance-a-thon  Emily responded, “This is a very exercising fund raiser, it looks like fun. I can tap to the rhythm but I’m not very coordinated. I’d be out of breath if I tried.”

“This dance-a-thon is the biggest fund raiser that we’ve had for Emily since we started fall 2008,” Mary Walters said. “Emily’s dad has raised money through Granby High School and her stepmom will run the Shamrock Marathon in her name and our church has helped. We’re working with Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) for fundraising ideas and overall support.”

Dance-a-thon rules mandated one team member dance at all times to fulfill commitment and eligibility for grand prizes. Studio dance teachers offered variety to the hours in motion by donated instruction time to the likes of Bellydance, Afro-Cuban, Steppin’, Salsa, Swing, and more. Generous sponsors made the day possible with donations of food, drinks, and prizes to keep the ten teams of dancers energized. 

Mambo Room co-owner and Emily’s school nurse, Sandra Sanchez, coordinated the effort with partner Tracy Holland. Proceed shares go to Emily’s transplant fund, studio dance scholarships, and increasing cultural diversity in Hampton Roads. The Mambo Room thanks all the volunteers and sponsors for making the first annual dance-a-thon a success: Chanello’s Pizza, Skirt Magazine, Providence Computers, Plaza del Sol, Selecta1050WVXX, ECO, Hot 91.1WNSB, Luv Buz. Visit mamboroomdance.com to plan your next dance experience.

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