Music will be bumping and kids will be dancing at a Holiday Dance Party geared for families to learn more about Sheridan Dance Academy, with all proceeds going to the local food bank.
Dance academy owner Mariah Sheridan Runions says she hopes families will drop by with their kids at next Friday evening’s dance party for a great cause. Parents are welcome to stay or leave their kids with volunteers, she says.
“It’s a low commitment, easy way for those families who are wondering about Sheridan Dance Academy to come in and check us out and get to know us a little bit,” says Sheridan Runions.
A large room in the studio will be transformed into a dance party with music and lights while a second room will have games and crafts for kids who want to take a break from dancing. Sheridan Runions says the party is geared toward the under-14 crowd, but some of her teenage dancers will also be in attendance.
“This might be the first opportunity that some of the kids have to do something so ‘grownup,’” she says.
Sheridan Runions said the idea came up when her and her staff were brainstorming ways the studio could help families in Powell River and benefit the community.
While the event is free, families are asked to bring a non-perishable food donation, new toys that are unwrapped or cash donations for Powell River Action Centre Food Bank.
“At this time of the year everyone is thinking about the food bank because the Christmas hampers are going out,” says Sheridan Runions, who remembers her family receiving a Christmas hamper when she was a child. “I still have a teddy bear that sits in my bedroom that I got from a Christmas hamper when I was three.”
In addition to raising money for the food bank, the academy has also set up a scholarship fund for low-income families who may not be able to afford dance classes for their children. Sheridan Runions says she is calling on local businesses and individuals who are willing to sponsor a child to dance and the academy will match any dollars donated.
“There are a quite a few children in Powell River who might not ever have the chance to dance, so this gives them another chance to do that,” says Sheridan Runions, “and it’s a great way for us to reach out and help.”
Sheridan Dance Academy Holiday Dance Party
When: 6:30-8:30 pm, Friday, December 16
Where: Sheridan Dance Academy
Price: Free with food bank donation
Information: 604.485.0023, sheridandanceacademy.ca
