Hilo Fun Dance Group invites the community to its second annual summer Zumba Fitness charity event raising funds for The Food Basket from 9-10:15 a.m. Saturday at Aunty Sally’s Luau House in Hilo.
With poverty on the rise throughout Hawaii, the Big Island’s food bank for poverty-stricken people is struggling to meet the demand. The Food Basket, a partner agency with the Hawaii Island United Way, depends on community support.
Through funded programs such as the nutritionally targeted KIDS Back Pack and supplementary assistance with Senior Brown Bags, donated food items go directly into hungry hands. The mission statement of the Food Basket is “to feed the hungry in Hawaii County while attending to the root causes of this critical social problem.”
For more information about the Food Basket, call 933-6030 or visit www.hawaiiunitedway.org.
Ticket donations are $5, which includes 75 minutes of Zumba fitness and a chance to win prizes donated by various local businesses and individuals. This is an alcohol-free event.
Tickets are available from Hilo Fun Dance Group volunteers, or by sending an email to hilofundance@yahoo.com and asking for tickets to be held at the door for the donator. Tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event. Canned good items will be accepted.
Hilo Fun Dance Group sponsored its first event March 21, 2009, for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society.
Saturday’s event at Aunty Sally’s will be the group’s eighth charity event.
Subsequent charity events benefited the Hawaii Island United Way, Hospice of Hilo, The Emergency Domestic Abuse Shelter for Women and Children, The Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island, The American Red Cross-Japan Relief Fund, Hawaii Island Adult Care, Inc., and Child and Family Service.
“The people of Hilo have always been generous, kind and giving hearts,” said spokeswoman Roberta Shiratori.
“The supporters, volunteers and friends of Hilo Fun Dance are precious people who realize that giving is better than receiving. With the inspirational spirit of aloha, with the strong hands of many helping, and with unselfish hearts that keep giving, Hilo Fun Dance Group invites the people of Hawaii to join the party at Aunty Sally’s Luau Hale to fight hunger.”
