How Zumba Love Will Save the World

Looking for a solution to the world's problems? You won't find it in a board room or office! If you want to see where real change happens, start looking on the DANCE FLOOR!

With our love, we could save the world. 

George Harrison

Sunday afternoon we gathered at the Halifax Ambulance Building for TIED TO THE CAUSE: AN ACS BENEFIT CLASS. Our mission? To raise funds for the American Cancer Society on behalf of our Relay For Life team, Z Cats (can you guess what the Z stands for?).

So what did these Zumba divas do to raise money for a cause they are passionate about? They grabbed their ties, straightened their mustaches, and DANCED! But this wasn't the first time they showed their ZUMBA LOVE...

When the church that hosted our Zumba classes held a drive for plastic bags, they brought them by the carload so that blankets could be make for the homeless. When one student's brother was diagnosed with cancer, they make donations and attended fundraisers in support of the family. When my own family was struck with ALS, they showed immense caring and concern (and they still do)! THEY INSPIRE ME!!

And here is something amazing to consider... 

According to Zumba.com, over 14 million people a week in 150+ countries attend Zumba dance-fitness classes.

Imagine the cumulative power that 14 million Zumba students have! 14 million! Think we can't make a difference? YOU'RE WRONG! Sunday's Zumba benefit class is proof! And we represent just a small battalion in our neon-colored ZUMBA ARMY!

Let's work CHUGETHER (that's a shout out to Zumba's founder, Beto Perez), show our ZUMBA LOVE, and CHANGE THE WORLD! I know just where to start...  I hope you'll join me on the DANCE FLOOR!

 #zumba #chugether #zumbalove #bethechange

Come On Baby, Light My Fire

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."

This was a busy weekend! On Saturday, Team Perry united in Hershey to participate in the Walk to Defeat ALS. We've been planning and fundraising for this event for almost a year, and Saturday we walked two miles together in honor and in memory of our brother Perry. Thanks to a certain snake bet, we were proud to have three "Extra Mile Club" members on our team (each raising over $1,000 for the ALS Association).



This weekend was also the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Greater Harrisburg. For 24 hours, our Central Penn College admissions team took turns walking and running the track for one purpose - to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Both events made me think about the power of working together toward a common goal.

Picture a candle... a single, solitary flame. Alone, it doesn't seem like much. What can that little flicker of light accomplish? Not much, right?

Yet one single flame can ignite something awe-inspiring.

In preparation for both the ALS Walk and Relay For Life, I saw a fire spread. Each of us represented a single flame, burning our own little light. But when we worked together, we became a force to be reckoned with! Over $3,000 raised for the ALS Association, over $1,000 raised for the American Cancer Society, and two teams "fired up" for their causes.

And it didn't stop there...

• Central Penn College Student Ambassadors, Circle K, and Colleges Against Cancer raised funds for both causes. 
• Central Penn faculty, staff, and students ate walking tacos, sold candles, and bought subs.
• My Admissions "siblings" generously contributed (They even made me a super-sized check to present their donations).
• My Zumba family helped to organize an incredible Zumbathon at Progress Fitness.
• My family and friends made donations in an attempt to spare me from that horrible snake (that didn't turn out as well as I hoped!)
• and so many more!

Just like that, our single little flame began to grow. We became a FORCE - unstoppable - steadily inching closer to our common goals. A new treatment for ALS? A cure for cancer? It all becomes possible when we work together. So what's our next step? Let's LIGHT THINGS UP!

Are you ready to turn your candlelight into a bonfire? What cause are you passionate about and who can you share your fire with? 

#BeTheChange #NoDayButToday 

Colleges Against Cancer: The Fight Goes Poolside!

There is nothing cooler than college students with a cause!

It was one year ago that a group of Central Penn College students joined together to form Colleges Against Cancer, a nationally recognized club designed to further the mission of the American Cancer Society (I serve as club advisor along with Lindsay Knapp).

A number of students had lost parents, grandparents, and other loved ones to cancer - and they wanted to do something to fight back. They began to envision a fun poolside event designed to increase cancer awareness and raise funds for the cause. They called it LUAU 2014.

In anticipation of LUAU 2014, the club had to work through a long "to do" list: They held weekly meetings, developed a budget, organized fundraisers, created fliers, reserved equipment, ordered food, found a DJ (Thanks Zach!), solicited donations, and more. And they did it all while balancing schoolwork, internships, jobs, and family.

Ashley and Brittany at the mic

This past weekend, their vision of LUAU 2014 became reality. And it's events like this one that remind me of why I love working in higher education - because I get to watch students learn and grow as new leaders (it's truly awesome to see!).

President Brittany was terrified to speak in front of crowds, yet she took the mic for her welcome address! This was also had her first experience serving as a club officer (she did GREAT!).

Wobble, baby, wobble...

Treasurer Austin kept our accounts in order and developed our event budget. He was also our GRILL MASTER at the luau!

Zach mixed some awesome beats for us as DJ (he even threw in a few Miley Cyrus songs for me)! PS: to Bachelle - You still need to teach me the Jersey Shuffle!!

The Luminaria Ceremony

And Vice President Ashley created a beautiful Luminaria Ceremony to honor and remember those affected by cancer. It was so moving to see those bags glowing as each name was read.

Yep, THEY ROCK! Congratulations to all the members of Colleges Against Cancer! Can't wait to see what you accomplish next!

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” ― Helen Keller

“Teamwork makes the dream work” ― Bang Gae

Facing the SNAKE

"Oh, it's not really gambling when you never lose." Jennifer Aniston

That's right. I made a bet with my sister-in-law, Rita, but I wasn't gambling - I couldn't lose!

Here was the gist of it: whoever collected fewer donations for the ALS Association during the specified time frame would have to put a LIVE SNAKE around their neck. I took the bet without hesitation (I couldn't lose!), and for two weeks, Rita and I were neck and neck (kind of funny considering our actual necks were on the line)!

We both received so many generous donations from family and friends trying to spare us from our fearful snaky fate. Then came the moment of truth... time to tally our donations. I collected $291 - an impressive amount, and certainly enough to keep me safe, right? Then Rita told me her total... $425! What?! Did she say $425?!!!

I was instantly panicked, but I found security in the fact that I would have weeks (maybe even months) until we planned our fateful trip to Lake Tobias to fulfill the bet.

Then came Memorial Day... 

Picture the scene: A Memorial Day picnic, family and friends sitting happily on lawn chairs, drinking beer, eating hot dogs, relaxing, laughing. Our host casually pulls the cover from the wood pile to prep for the annual bonfire. Sitting there calmly on top of the logs was a fat, green gardner snake. 

I'm not sure who said it first (I wouldn't be surprised if it was my husband), but it was suggested that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to "pay up" (commence screaming now).

I didn't trust that snake. He was a sneaky one - I knew it. He didn't come from the safe confines of Lake Tobias. He was wild. To make things worse, apparently he had the ability to infiltrate the defenses of young children - they loved him (I was still screaming).

Caleb (age 3) - fearless!

Me (age 33) - not so fearless. 

All glimpses of rational thought were now gone - just pure terror remained. It made no sense at all, but when does it? I'm sure I scared that fat old gardner snake just as much as he scared me - yet I had no control over my screams (and eventually tears)! 

So we made a plan - Chris would hold the snake's head and drape his body along my neck, Hilary would hold my hand, and Shawn would take video. Did I do it? Watch the video below to find out!

As I recover from the ordeal, there is one thing that makes me thankful for my sneaky snaky encounter - Team Perry has now raised $3,654 thanks in part to our slithery little friend. And that makes it all worthwhile. 

Only for you, Perry Thoman!

 

Team Perry at the Wild Half

Christmas 2013. Perry had been dealing with the reality of ALS for two seasons. We watched him go from cane, to wheelchair, to motorized wheelchair, to hospital bed. At the same time - in stark contrast - Rita, Kelly, and I were becoming seasoned runners. Perry was losing mobility, yet we were blessed to be able to RUN.

As our family shared that final Christmas with Perry, we three sisters got a crazy idea - a WILD idea.  We found a half marathon in Wildwood, NJ - and one of the non-profit beneficiaries was the ALS Association. It was then that we decided to register together and run The Wild Half Marathon in honor of Perry.

This past weekend we fulfilled that mission.

We hit the beaches of New Jersey on Saturday in anticipation of Sunday's run. Our first night was filled with silly pictures, pizza on the boardwalk, and rides on Morey's Adventure Pier (they made me ride a terrifying roller coaster)!

 

On Sunday, we woke up at 4 a.m. for race day (we needed plenty of time for coffee). We had been training all spring, but we were also faced with training conflicts, knee injuries, and other stumbling blocks. As we approached the starting line, we had one question on our minds... Could we go the distance? 

We set off on a beautiful 13.1 mile course down the length of boardwalk and throughout Wildwood. What a unforgettable experience to be in one of my favorite places (the beach!) with my two awesome sisters! When the miles got longer and our legs got heavier, we remembered how much of a gift it is to even attempt to run this distance.

And we kept running because we could. We had to - We were running for Perry. 

Did we cross the finish line? YOU BET (Rita beat me by one second!), Rita and Kelly completed their first official half marathon, and a new annual tradition was created (Can't wait for the Wild Half Marathon 2015)!

Perry Thoman - this one was for you, Bro!

 

Become a part of TEAM PERRY. Make a donation now to help us find a cure for ALS. CLICK HERE

Snake Charmers?

Me and Rita: Currently in a pickle!

The Thoman boys have yet again put me and my sister-in-law Rita in what I consider to be a very big pickle!

In June, Team Perry will be participating in the WALK TO DEFEAT ALS. This will be our first time participating in this event since Perry's diagnosis (and since he lost his battle this January). In memory of Perry, we set a very high fundraising goal. Three of the sister-in-laws wanted to hit the "Extra Mile Club" (meaning that we each raised $1000).

I hit the goal earlier this year thanks to the amazing generosity of my Central Penn College family and friends. Kelly hit her goal this month (thank you Ted Watson!). So last night, Team Perry plotted on how Rita could raise the remaining amount to reach her goal.

Leave it to the Thoman boys to come up with an idea that BOTH of us hated!

HERE'S THE DEAL: Rita and I are officially in a fundraising competition until next Friday (the deadline for the Extra Mile Club). Whoever raises the LEAST will have to put a SNAKE around their neck during our visit to Lake Tobias this summer! 

Initially I imagine a scene where I channel my inner-Britney and totally befriend the snake (and look pretty darn cool in the process!). Then reality kicks in, and I know it's going to be a little more like that famous scene from Psycho.

Fantasy

 

Reality

My only solution - I need to WIN! So for the next two weeks, I'm on fundraising overdrive! Donations on MY PAGE will get Rita closer to that snake! But donations on HER PAGE will count against me. So skip the Starbucks this week, and make a $5 or $10 (or more) donation! You'll get to torment me and Rita AND help find a cure for ALS!

Don't worry - when the big scene goes down, I'll be sure to post lots of pics/videos on this blog! 

Getting Schooled on Balance

"You can have it all. Just not all at once." Oprah Winfrey

At the beginning of the year I was given an amazing opportunity to teach Zumba classes at a gym owned by one of my mentors - the women who I credit with making me fall in love with Zumba, Liza Smith! I was already teaching four classes a week (plus working full time), but I LOVE teaching, so why not teach MORE? Especially when I could team up with my mentor! (More is BETTER, right???)

So since January I've been teaching six classes a week. And I love teaching every single one of those classes. I want to "be the change." And every Zumba class gives me a forum to teach, entertain, and (hopefully) inspire others.

But here's the problem... I realized recently that I wasn't being very inspirational. 

With my new schedule I started missing my morning strength training sessions with my trainer, Derek. Although I've been rockin' the cardio in my Zumba classes, I know that some heavy lifting with Derek is necessary if I want to achieve my fitness goals (Ab Muscles, I'm talking to you - I know you're in there somewhere!).

I also realized how much I miss complaining about Negley Hill on Tuesday nights with my running friends, and joining my former American Cancer Society volunteers at our "reunions," and having time to snuggle my boys at home. With so many weekly class commitments, my time to do those things became greatly limited.

My boys, Max and Puggy!

So here's the question... How can I (1.) Find my ab muscles, (2.) Have time for family and friends, (3.) Make a positive impact on the world, and (4.) Still work toward becoming a Zumba superstar?

My answer? BALANCE. 

My next thought? Easier said than done! I couldn't imagine my Monday nights without Joy, Lindsay, Lena, and all of the amazing gals at Progress Fitness, but I also considered that I wouldn't reach ANY of my goals if my schedule went on as-is.

Then I made the decision to do something scary and HARD. I told my mentor that I wanted to give up my classes at her studio and step back to the sub list.

Derek put it this way - "It's better to have fewer classes and make them AWESOME classes." He's right (I hate when he's right). And I'm (slowly) realizing that balance is important and necessary to make not only my Zumba classes, but ME better.

It's been a tough lesson for me to learn, and probably one that I'll need to be reminded of again. But (as I snuggle next to Max and Puggy on the couch), I know I'm one step closer to being the person that I want to be.

I learned a tough lesson this week, and need your feedback! How do you find balance? Give me your best tips and tricks!