More than 400 participants shook, danced and jumped away the calories during the Relay For Life of Bergen Beach, Mill Basin & Marine Park’s largest indoor Zumba class ever, hosted at the Aviator Sports Complex, according to Record Setter.
Organized by “Zumba Daddy,” Joseph Gillette, co-chairman of Brooklyn’s annual Relay For Life of Bergen Beach, Mill Basin & Marine Park, the event, which drew 419 participants, was held to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society.
Zumba, a Colombian fitness program involving dance and aerobic elements, incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, martial arts, and some Bollywood and belly dance moves.
The video featured above gives you a look at the scope of the event and the joy of the zumba participants, all working out for a good cause.
“They’re here for zumba, but more importantly, the American Cancer Society,” said Gillette. “Its a successful day, a tremendous day. I couldn’t be happier.”
For more information on the Relay For Life and zumba, you can visit them on Facebook.
Area residents, their lives touched by cancer, came together to celebrate those who have battled the disease, remember those who lost their lives to it, and pledge to continue fighting to find a cure, during Aviator Sports’ inaugural Bergen Beach, Mill Basin & Marine Park Relay for Life.
Featuring live entertainment, food, raffles, and a variety of interactive and fun activities for the whole family, community members formed teams and walked around Aviator’s outdoor track for eight continuous hours, symbolically conveying their message that, until there is a cure, the fight against cancer never ends.
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Relay For Life "Luminaria" bags.
Live entertainment, food, raffles, and a variety of interactive and fun activities for the whole family will be on tap as the Aviator Sports Complex on Flatbush Avenue hosts its very first Relay for Life for Bergen Beach, Mill Basin and Marine Park, June 2 from 2:00 to 10:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Live music will include performances by Donnie Klang of MTV’s Making the Band and teen singer Tayla Cornelia, both backed by the DJ Swivet, as well as the troupe from Acting Out and Edward R. Murrow High School’s dance troupe led by Roberta Raymond.
Face painting, caricatures, tennis demonstrations, video game setups sponsored by Best Buy, and more, will be ongoing throughout the day. Additionally, Ms. New York America Helen Troncoso, a noted women’s health advocate, will be a guest speaker during the Relay’s opening ceremonies. She will also be available for meet and greet photo opportunities.
As the lights go out when the sun goes down, the outdoor track at Aviator will be lined with hundreds of Luminaria Bags created by neighborhood children, donors and volunteers to honor those who are fighting cancer now, those who have survived cancer, and loved ones who have lost their lives to cancer. The bags will be illuminated by candles, and all in attendance will participate in a solemn walk around the track to view the bags. The walk will be led by the nationally-acclaimed FDNY Emerald Society Pipes & Drum Band.
To learn more and get involved, contact Joe Gillette at jowegee1@msn.com.
“Pretty in Purple,” the Relay for Life team that Jessica Rosen — one of our friends (and supporters) from Big Apple Sewer — belongs to just kicked off a new fundraiser that they are dubbing, “Cell Phones for a Cure.”
The concept is simple. According to Rosen, “We are collecting old cell phones then donating them and getting cash in exchange.” The cash collected from the cell phones and batteries will go toward “Pretty in Purple,” which has thus far raised $1,338.92 in support of cancer research.
“Pretty in Purple” will be participating in the “2012 Relay For Life of Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst & Dyker Heights” from 2:00 to 11:00 p.m., June 23 at Fort Hamilton Athletic Field, bounded by 83rd Street to 85th Street, Narrows Avenue and Colonial Road in Bay Ridge.
The event begins at 12:00 p.m., but the opening ceremony is at 2:00 p.m. “Pretty in Purple” will camp out overnight and take turns walking around the track to raise money and awareness to help the American Cancer Society create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.
To learn more about Relay for Life, “Pretty in Purple,” and to contribute, go to their team page by clicking here or call (718) 360-9200.
