You may have noticed lately, some interesting activity on The Big Hearts Fund Facebook page. Well, now that The Big Hearts Fund Financial Aid Program has been unveiled, we need to work harder than ever before to continue our fundraising and growth efforts in order to reach out and offer assistance to as many Chicago families as we can. To that end, The Big Hearts Fund and The Dance COLEctive, in a mutual desire to promote family wellness, are proud to announce our first joint fundraiser, “Wholehearted Wellness Jam 2012: ZUMBATHON®,” Thursday, February 23, 5:30–8:30 p.m. at Grossinger City Autoplex, 1530 N. Dayton, Chicago. Registration information can be found here.

This two-hour ZUMBATHON—four 30-minute sessions—also features local health- and fitness-focused businesses offering complimentary services and products geared toward the health of animals and people alike. The evening includes refreshments, a silent auction, and the first 50 guests pre-registered by February 14 receive a special goodie bag.

For those of you asking yourselves how a local charity for dogs and cats came to work with a local modern dance company, the answer is: Me. Kaitlin Bishop. Board Member of BHF and Dancer for TDC. This awesome event features my two life passions: Dogs and Dance, although my dear loves Jax & Louie will be staying home for this party. They don’t need to worry though, there will be plenty of doggie (and kittie) goodies for me to bring home for them from the Silent Auction. This event also provides an opportunity for TDC’s friends, family, & audiences to meet the many members of the BHF community and vice versa. Some of you might leave this event with a newly discovered love and appreciation for modern dance, and we, at BHF, hope to make many new friends through this joint venture as well, especially now that BHF’s Financial Aid Program has been unveiled. This is an amazing opportunity to reach out and help even more people than we ever thought possible.

As you already know BHF’s young history, I’d like to introduce you to: The Dance COLEctive. Formed in March 1996, The Dance COLEctive aspires to challenge assumptions about how dance is presented, through the use of cutting-edge choreography, innovative collaborations and inspired creative site-specific works. TDC’s vision is to become one of Chicago’s premier dance ensembles, recognized for its compelling, socially relevant and inspiring choreography. In fulfilling its mission and vision, TDC embraces collaboration as a core element of its creative process; values the athleticism, grace, power and strength of its dancers; and nurtures and promotes the creativity of emerging artists.

We hope you all can join us for what is sure to be an awesome evening of healthy snacks, prizes, massages, and ZUMBA. Don’t worry, for those of you who have never ZUMBA’d before, neither have I! ZUMBA is certainly not a requirement either, however there IS a special prize to the participant who raises the most pledges for the ZUMBATHON. You are more than welcome to peruse the many complimentary services available to you at this event, as well as keeping a close eye on your favorite silent auction items. Trader Joe’s, PEELD, and KIND have all contributed refreshments and snacks, and if that sounds boring, there MAY be some gift certificates available for various bakeries and our favorite cupcake shops in the city!

This is going to be an event to remember! Don’t miss out!!!!