Through our community dance projects, our students learn the value of volunteering, community, and the importance of charities. Our students inspire friends, family, and neighbors to get involved. We have raised money and are leading awareness campaigns for Kool 2beKind, Breast Cancer Awareness, and the Dove Center.
Our collective total raised for charity is $340 K. We have supported the following charities: American Heart Association, GLAF, Samantha Funding the Arts, The House of Hope, Cindy’s Fund, Landon’s Library, Broken Road Associates, Garrett Mentors, Garrett County Humane Society, Garrett Trails, I Can Swim and Camp Magic Mountain.
Autumn Glory is the perfect platform to showcase our charitable campaigns. Our participation in the Autumn Glory Festival could have been an era if we weren’t limited to picking ten eras. My journey of participation in the parades began as a child; I’m pretty sure the record is mine at 51 years, finally beating out Mr. Clever, the former band director. We have performed at the Autumn Glory Kick-Off dinner four times and were the 2003 Grand Marshals for the Autumn Glory parade.
Our community dances: we danced with balls, hoops, frisbees, noodles, pom poms, scarves, umbrellas, and more… My favorite part of this endeavor is the weekly classes that teach the dance to people who come into the room with little or no dance experience. They are nervous and guarded about the choice they made to be there. It’s watching their confidence grow from mastering the dance to perhaps performing for the first time. It’s when they get so excited that they ask when the next performance is or recruit a friend to share in the fun. We often will have several mothers and daughters participating. It is fun to watch them bond through rehearsal and performances. Speaking of friends, I have made some incredible connections through our dance project. You need good friends to support a crazy idea and to hustle up money you wish to donate to charity. My dance sisters, Lisa Janoske and Tammy Fridley, are always by my side and have participated in decades of dance projects. Lisa is a master of fundraising, and I feel confident if anyone in the political world ever knew of her talent, she would be recruited heavily. Sheri and Justin Hershman always assist with providing us with a dock to decorate for a float, and Justin drives his truck so we can have a sound system in the parades. I love the help and support of all our participants, but at the end of the day, the smiles, the laughter, and the social connection are the real prize.
We have enjoyed many successful campaigns, but five stand out. In 2009, Get Your Pink Gloves On for Cindy’s Fund created a sea of pink hands everywhere during the Autumn Glory Parade, from the marching people to the crowd waving. We distributed thousands of gloves throughout the county. Working with Sandy Bell, the creator of Cindy’s Fund, has been rewarding. Her passion and the reach of her charity to help people in Garrett County are beyond inspiring.
In 2014, we embarked on one of our most ambitious projects, Garret County Gives. The campaign was incorporated into the Deep Creek 2014 International Canoe Kayak Federation Whitewater World Championships. Eight local charities teamed up with a sponsor and an athlete from the team USA. Eight different custom-colored bandanas were created for each charity, each depicting its sponsor and athlete. The bandanas were sold to raise money for charity, show spirit for their athlete, and advertise for the sponsors. Our dancers performed throughout the area, and the colorful impact of the bandanas was breathtaking. Each charity raised thousands of dollars, totaling over $30,000.
There is no dispute about the impact of Weathering Life’s Storms for Cindy’s Fund on the community in 2021, during a global pandemic. Our colorful umbrella display downtown lifted everyone’s spirits. We sold umbrellas and made over $10,000 for Cindy’s Fund.
This past year ranks up there as our CareCrows led the way, performing all around town dressed in creative costumes and sharing the message of caring. We raised $12,600 this past fall for Cindy’s Fund.
Our Thriller dances in 2009 and 2018 were so successful that we featured them in the Creepy Era. Be sure to check that out for all the scary-good details.
This fall, we will Get on our Feet and SOCK IT TO CANCER for Cindy’s Fund. Hopefully, after reading the warm fuzzy feelings about our community dance projects, you will consider joining us.
Community means the world to me, and I feel blessed beyond measure to have the support and interaction with the people of Garrett County.