Zumba for the cure
By Sarah Steele Wilson
Nov 7, 2012, 12:43
photo by Sarah Steele Wilson Getting fit while funding breast cancer research was the goal in Prince George.
The women doing Zumba in the Prince George County Education Center gym on Saturday morning weren’t just working on their own physical fitness. They were part of a growing movement of Zumba events aimed at fighting breast cancer and finding a cure.
In 2010, Zumba Fitness, the company behind a workout regime centered around Latin Dance, launched “Party in Pink” to raise awareness and funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure with a series of “Zumba Fitness Party in Pink” Zumbathon charity events.
photo by Sarah Steele Wilson Fitness and charity merged on Saturday morning during a Zumbathon devoted to breast cancer awarenesss.
By their second year, in 2011, there were more than 1,300 events in the United States, raising $1.2 million dollars.
On Saturday morning, Prince George pitched $210 towards this year’s goal.
“Last February we did one of the Zumbas for the American Red Cross,” said Debbie Lafland, Special Activities Coordinator for Prince George County Parks and Recreation. “We decided this time we would do it to go to the American Cancer Society Zumba to fight breast cancer.”
She said that the event attracted the regular crowd of people who attend the Zumba classes offered weekly on Monday and Tuesday as well as a few new comers.
“A lot of these are people who do it with us and some of them are new,” she said.
This year, different localities in the region supported the fight against breast cancer with similar, fitness themed events.
photo by Sarah Steele Wilson Prince George residents worked up a sweat and raised money for the American Cancer Society on Saturday.
