For two hours Saturday afternoon, community members will have a chance to improve their physical health and the fiscal health of a local nonprofit.
Zumbathon started as a fun way for Pleasant Valley Tennis and Fitness Club to mark the first anniversary of its renovated fitness area. It grew into a fundraiser for Citizen Advocacy.
“We just wanted to do something different to celebrate a year,” said owner Jacci Gambucci. “And we wanted it to be a benefit for somebody.”
Zumba was an easy choice, Gambucci said. Not only is it a current rage, you don’t need to be particularly good at it to do it. Zumba is a dance fitness program that combines Latin and international music, often in a class setting. While the Zumbathon will last two hours, participants can come for as little or as much of it as they like.
Finding a nonprofit came together quickly as well.
Fitness instructors Renny Mayer and Sheena Delong participate in Citizen Advocacy’s Dancing for a Difference fundraiser on May 6 at the Chandelier Ballroom in Hartford. In a preliminary discussion, they suggested it could dovetail well with the dancing event and offered to organize it as a Citizen Advocacy fundraiser.
Gambucci was hooked. So was Mark Brunner, Citizen Advocacy executive director.
Citizen Advocacy provides opportunities for supportive relationships between community members and people with developmental disabilities.
“It’s been tough for nonprofits, so we’re really greatful for these types of opportunities,” he said.
Last year, Citizen Advocacy saw a drop in program grants and donations, but growth in requests for service, Brunner said.
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