On Saturday March 23, 2013, over 500 participants in Memorial Auditorium in Burlington VT for Women Helping Battered Women’s 5th Annual Zumbathon® left it all on the dance floor. The joyful energy of Zumba® Fitness carried WHBW past their $50,000 fundraising goal, deeming the event an enormous success. Local Zumba® Fitness Instructors Bridget O’Connor and Shannon Stem are the main energy behind this annual event. Together with 75 Zumba® Fitness Instructors from across New England they lead the party from the main stage. Each “crew” of instructors brought their best choreography, sass, and great costumes to fire up the crowd through 2.5 hours of amazing Zumba® Fitness action. Bridget, who has been a lead organizer since year one stated, “WHBW does so much for our community, we love being able to give back- especially when it means we get to throw a huge party! Every year we are blown away by the instructors, the participants, staff and volunteers, and tech people that make this event magic.” WHBW announced the creation of an annual volunteer award to honor the five years of commitment and hard work that have gone into making the WHBW Zumbathon® the most successful fundraiser event in WHBW’s 39year history! The WHBW O’Connor and Stem Community Inspiration Award will be given annually to a volunteer who motivates and inspires others to make a difference.

Zumba® Fitness is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program that blends international music and contagious steps to form a “fitness-party” that is downright addictive. Since its inception in 2001, Zumba® has grown to become the world’s largest – and most successful – dance fitness program. More than 14 million people take weekly Zumba® Fitness classes in over 140,000 locations, across more than 150 countries. A Zumbathon® is a special event class to raise money and awareness for charity. As we channeled the power and energy of the Zumba® Fitness program, it reverberated through the Auditorium- even the volunteers were up and dancing!

In 2009 our first Zumbathon® event raised $4,000. The second surprised us by more than doubling the number of participants and raising $10,000. Our 3rd upped the ante again, bringing in $28,000. The 4th Annual Women Helping Battered Women Zumbathon® in 2012 raised just under $40,000. With the help of the instructors, participants, community sponsors, donors, staff and volunteers fromWHBW, this year’s Zumbathon® event brought in approximately $55,000! “We are amazed and humbled by how much time and effort goes into this event every year. WHBW is deeply grateful to everyone who helps make this event happen,” said Executive Director Jane Van Buren. In 2012, WHBW provided services at no cost to nearly 5,000 adults and children in Chittenden County whose lives have been affected by domestic abuse. These services include emergency shelter, legal advocacy, credit repair, children’s groups, and other necessary direct services that help survivors lead safe, empowered lives. The annual Zumbathon® provides an invaluable amount of funding, publicity, and pure positive empowering energy for WHBW.

Together we will build a world without domestic abuse!

More coverage (and photos!) from Z5 can be found on our Facebook page.

Also, check out Beltrami & Co.’s Facebook page for some pictures! 

WHBW is proud to announce the creation of the O’Connor and Stem Community Inspiration Award,  in recognition of Bridget O’Connor’s and Shannon Stem’s tireless efforts to make the Zumbathon a huge success.  The first recipients of this award are Thomas Robin and Hannah Grace.  Both O’Connor and Stem received WHBW’s Susan E. Roche Volunteer Award.

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