Saipan Tribune

Friday, May 24, 2013

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Tickets on sale for 'Dance for Dora' Zumbathon fundraiser

Organizers of the “Dance for Dora” Zumbathon charity event began selling tickets on Tuesday.

Dance for Dora is supported by the CNMI Public School System and will be held on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 5pm to 6:30pm at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

Entrance fee is $5 per person and participants are asked to come in exercise clothes and athletic shoes, and to bring a sweat towel and water bottle.

The event is one of the many fundraisers that will be held to raise the $25,000 needed to transfer Dora Grace Ada Camacho to a facility in South Carolina where she can receive the medical treatment she needs. The 8-year-old girl is paralyzed from the neck down and has been in the intensive care unit at the hospital for the past five months.

Amy Sletten, Dora's former teacher at the William S. Reyes Elementary School who is also a licensed Zumba Fitness instructor, is spearheading the fundraiser with two other instructors, Elitza “Elly” Stoilova and Jo-Ann Aquino.

Stoilova said Saturday's event will be 1.5 hours of “fun, dance, and fitness,” although participants are not required to stay throughout the event.

“People can join us for a little, take a break, and if for any reason they cannot follow the instructors on the stage, they can just dance to the music the way they feel it. Have fun, burn some calories, and help Dora! It is a party,” she said.

Stoilova disclosed that they earlier planned to sell the tickets at the door, without any plans of pre-selling them.

“But due to the demand, we had to start selling tickets this Tuesday,” she told Saipan Tribune.

Tickets are available for sale from any of the three organizers and at Gold's Gym.

The event will also feature a raffle draw. For only $1 per raffle ticket, the public will have a chance to win any of the great prizes donated by local businesses that have agreed to support the cause.

Up for grabs are lunch and spa certificates from Mariana Resort & Spa, waterpark passes or Magellan brunch at Pacific Islands Club, dinner cruise with Stars & Stripes, DFS Galleria giveaways, donations from Joeten Enterprises and Gold's Gym, $25 gift certificates at Joeten Store from Saipan Stevedore, wine, Spam items from D&Q, and the grand prize of hotel accommodation at Kanoa Resort and Century Hotel donated by the Tan Siu Lin Foundation.

Proceeds from entrance and raffle tickets will fund Dora's medical transport.

Sletten expressed hope that many community members will support Dora and take part in Saturday's fundraiser.

“This 8-year-old brave girl deserves the chance to run, jump, and play with other kids, enjoy life, grow as a beautiful young woman, have a family of her own. This chance is $25,000 away from her and I believe in our community, we can do it, we can give her this chance! If someone cannot stay for the Zumba Fitness party, at least stop by and get a ticket. Every $5 counts to reach the goal,” she said.