Dance Fans Raise Over £6k in Hospice Zumbathon
March 7, 2011
Dancing fans from across Birmingham and the Black Country are on course to raise £6,625 for their local hospice after they sweated it out at a special event at the city’s legendary club Gatecrasher on Saturday (March 5).
Birmingham St Mary’s Sponsored Zumbathon took place at the Broad Street nightspot between 1pm and 3pm, attracting 106 dancers.
Money raised at the lively event will go towards caring for families coping with life-limiting illness across Birmingham and Sandwell.
The session was led by Zumba instructor Suzanne Richardson, who runs the popular Zumba With Suzanne classes at various venues around Dudley. Zumba combines Latin dance technique with easy-to-follow moves and is a great way to keep fit and sculpt your body.
Hospice Head of Fundraising and Marketing Caroline Taylor said the Zumbathon had been a fantastic success.
“For our first event of this kind, it has gone tremendously well. Between them the dancers, both men and women of all ages are estimated to have raised a superb £6,625. This will go a long way to providing vital care for local families who face the difficult journey of life-limiting illness,” she said.
Simon Raine, MD at Gatecrasher, offered the venue free of charge to the charity, which helps around 1,000 patients a year and provides support to their families for as long as needed.
Since its launch in 1979, the charity has cared for tens of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer, motor neurone disease and MS.
In addition to a 25-bed inpatient unit, Birmingham St Mary’s boasts a 20-place day hospice and provides community care to people who wish to stay in their own homes.
The hospice also supports relatives with bereavement preparation, physiotherapy tuition and counselling in addition to many other services.
Annual running costs stand at £6.3 million, with around £1 million being raised in the hospice’s shops and £2.7 million via fundraising. The remainder comes from the NHS.
Search our site
