by elizabeth farina, Midlothian Exchange.com
efarina@midlothianexchange.com

When Pastor Rick Johns of Courthouse Road Seventh-day Adventist Church heard from his wife Jessica, who works at Bon Air Dance and Pilates, that Zumba® instructor Marcela Charris was looking for a charity, he was willing to find out what the fitness craze was about and took a class.

“I’m challenged when it comes to rhythm,” Rev. Johns said. “My wife was hoping that I would gain some skills in that area of dance.”

Whether or not he gained a new step to the dance repertoire is unknown. Yet, he did gain a partnership with three Zumba® instructors who were looking to do a charitable event in the community.

“Health is a high priority and part of the Bible message and its fun to partner with the fitness instructors for a good cause,” he said.

Charris, with fellow instructors Gina DeRusha and Louann Hallock, have joined forces to deliver the high energy fitness craze in a two-hour Zumba® for a Cause event to benefit the church’s project to build an AIDS hospice center in the Cambodia’s capital, the Central Virginia Food Bank and to offer blood donation appointment bookings for a Virginia Blood Services event, which will be held on Saturday, May 2. For $10 and a canned good, Zumba® novices and professionals can join in on Sunday, April 26, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Gordon Elementary School, located at 11701 Gordon School Rd.

The three “eat and sleep Zumba®,” DeRusha said. “It’s absolutely fun, high energy; exhausting, but happy.”

Charris agreed. “Some work very hard at other kinds of exercise and look so sad,” Charris said. “In Zumba®, you see people laugh any time.”

She added that participants do not have to have [Zumba] experience to join in the fun. “It’s extremely easy to follow,” she said.

Marcela Charris kicks up the fun during Zumba class.  - Photo by Patrick Dobbs

Hollack explained that the school offers a large stage so participants will be able to see the three instructors’ choreography while enjoying the upbeat dance music from the sound system. All three encouraged Zumba® participants to wear shoes with the least amount of traction. “The older the shoe the better,”

The three instructors met with Rev. Johns to learn more about the church’s cause. “Cambodia is where Africa was 10 to 15 years ago. AIDS is spreading rampantly and there are limited resources for mothers and children with AIDS,” Hallock said. 

Rev. Johns explained that the church members had decided to partner with Adventist Southeast Asia Project in 2007 when the decision to expand their own building was being discussed. “Our leaders decided we would, before we built our own, build somewhere overseas where the money would go farther and be where it was needed,” he said.

Judy Akin, head of ASAP, spoke with the church, providing a first-hand account of the challenges the country is facing with AIDS. “The situation in Cambodia, although the government has become proactive in the last couple of years, there is already not a high regard for women, but they are ostracized when they have AIDS,” Rev. Johns explained.

Rev. Johns added that the other local organizations are a part of the event too. “We are doing the food bank and encourage people to make an appointment to donate blood on May 2 at our church, which is within a mile of Gordon Elementary where the event is being held. 

Charris added that Virginia Blood Services has a special place in her family. Charris daughter, Isabella, as an infant, received a blood transfusion that saved the child’s life.

Catch the fun at www.zumbawithmarcela.com.