…WHEN YOU DANCE!
Lung cancer, Stage 3B. That was the diagnosis a good friend of ours received several months ago. I’m talking about one of our amazing Jazzercise instructors, Marissa Moezzi, a vivacious, otherwise healthy, nonsmoking mother of four young children.
To say we were floored is most definitely an understatement.
Of course, in addition to shock and fear, one of the most common reactions to such news is, “What can I do to help?” and that was certainly the case when we learned of Marissa’s diagnosis. Many folks immediately signed up for the annual Climb to Conquer Cancer walk in support of Marissa, proudly wearing bright green “#teamris t-shirts as we walked those seven miles up the Snowbowl mountain road. But, while that was a special event and a great way to raise money for cancer research, all of us who know and love Marissa – and we are many — wanted to show her directly how much we care for her and her family. So, we decided to have a Jazzercise Dance Party fundraiser, since it’s something we all love to do.
The dance party was planned fairly quickly, but despite the short timeframe, the response from Jazzercise students and instructors, friends and community members was simply incredible, and the event was a huge success. The benefit party included raffle giveaways, a silent auction with a plethora of donations from local businesses and individuals, and of course LOTS of dancing. We at the Arizona Mountain Inn & Cabins were so happy to contribute a weekend getaway. In the end, the Jazzercise Dance Party raised over $10,000 to give directly to Marissa and her family. Our goal was to show her how much she is loved and how much she means to us. Mission accomplished!
As one of our fellow Jazzercise instructors, Dina, said at the event, “I am reminded tonight what a great community we have here in Flagstaff. We had an amazingly generous turnout for the Moezzi benefit, and I feel so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people!” I wholeheartedly agree.
Thanks all for a great evening!
