Students can make their workouts worth more this Thursday.
The Swamp’s Largest Zumba Fitness Fest, hosted by a partnership between Dance Marathon at UF and the UF Department of Recreational Sports, will be held Thursday at the Southwest Recreation Center from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Participants are asked to make a $5 donation for the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.
Carlos Gordian, internal communications overall director for Dance Marathon at UF, said he is hoping for a big turnout at this new event.
“We don’t have a set goal,” said Gordian, a 22-year-old UF materials science and engineering senior. “We’re just excited to see how many people show up and support this great cause.”
During the event, two Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals families will share their stories.
Catherine Klein, a 22-year-old UF psychology senior, said seeing the families is a great reminder of why students should participate in Dance Marathon events.
“It keeps spirits high, and everyone remembers why they’re raising money,” Klein said. “It makes the experience of being there more powerful.”
Two Zumba instructors will be giving the hourlong class.
Molly Vazquez, public relations overall director for Dance Marathon at UF, said having families share their stories made the event more meaningful, and she hopes to see the event grow each year.
“It brings home why this is important and why we are trying to spread awareness,” said the 21-year-old UF public relations senior.
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 1/8/2014 under the headline "UF students to shake it to raise money"
