|
The ballroom of the Lincoln Park
District was a dynamic scene on Saturday night as Union Avenue
Rockabilly Band performed for a large crowd of dancers in support of
the Friends and Family Relay for Life team. Swing and Lindy hop
dancers from Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Champaign, the
Illinois State University Swing Club, and other central Illinois
communities enjoyed a swing dance lesson at 6:30 p.m. followed by
both classic and original rockabilly tunes of the early rock era
performed by the three-piece band from Bloomington. Jon Young of
Young Dance, Inc. organized and co-hosted the event as a fundraiser
for the local Relay for Life team in support of the American Cancer
Society, the first time he has organized a benefit for this team.
The Friends and Family Relay for
Life team is well-known to the Lincoln community as the organizer of
the Pink Pumpkin auction held every October at Collision Concepts in
Lincoln. The Lincoln community, both businesses and individuals, has
generously supported the charity auction, and local businesses also
supported the charity dance with a variety of gift cards for raffle.
Attendees could purchase individual raffle tickets or a row of
tickets matching their arm length or full body length to enter for a
chance to win gift cards from Guzzardo’s Italian Villa, J&M Meat
Market, VIP Lincoln Grand 6 Cinema, Small Town Creations, Guesthouse
Coffee and Pastries, Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, Chi Family
Restaurant, Debbie’s Downtown Floral Shop, and Verdant Salon and
Suites. The entirety of the funds raised at both the Pink Pumpkin
auction and Saturday’s Blizzard Boogie and raffle go to support
cancer research and to help those in the middle of the fight against
this disease.
[to top of second column] |
The Blizzard Boogie garnered an
excellent turnout and event donations totaled $783 by the end of the
night. Friends and Family Relay for Life team co-organizer Karen
Castelein said, “The evening was a lot of fun! The music was great
and even if you were not dancing, you were tapping your toe.” Young
provided refreshments for the dancers and another special treat to
add to the fun of the night: a costume contest for best rockabilly
attire. Trophies went to the best individual male costume and female
costume and to the best couple’s costume. When the band paused for a
break after an hour and a half of live music, Young kept everyone on
the dance floor deejaying the Cupid Shuffle, Dancing Queen, and
other favorite dance tunes. The whole evening was high-energy fun.
Although this was the first dance
Young has organized for Friends and Family Relay for Life, this is
not the first event that Young has hosted for nonprofits in the
Lincoln community. Previously, he has organized charity dances to
support the Lincoln Park District foundation, Land of Lincoln Honor
Flights, and Lincoln Community Theatre. He has offered dance lessons
at the Lincoln Park District Recreation Center, as well. Young hosts
charity dances around central Illinois, and proceeds from the dances
go toward local nonprofits and charitable organizations. Young’s
goal is to provide an option for fundraising different from the
common fish frys, spaghetti dinners, and bake sales, and one that
provides fun and positive social opportunities for the community.
The next charity dance Young will host
in Lincoln is an Adult Prom on April 25 from 7 to 10 p.m. for the
Lincoln Park District Foundation. It will also take place in the
ballroom of the Lincoln Park District and proceeds will benefit
youth scholarships, lifeguard training, and community events. In the
fall, a dance is scheduled for November 7 in support of Lincoln
Community Theatre. These dances will offer all types of ballroom,
Latin, and swing dance opportunities. For more information about
upcoming dances and dance classes with Young Dance, Inc., please
visit the Young Dance, Inc
website.
[Stephanie Hall]
|
