The 3rd Annual Bring in Blue: Zumbathon   for Autism Speaks will take place on Sunday, April 24, 2016 from 2:00 – 5:00pm at the Village Inn Event Center in Clemmons, NC (6205 Ramada Dr. 27012).  Tickets are $15 in advance through Saturday, April 23, and $20 on the day of the event / at the door.

This co-ed dance-fitness party will feature a live DJ with club lighting, 22 certified dance instructors, refreshments, photo opportunities, vendors, door prizes, t-shirt cutting with expert Tracie, and FREE CHILDCARE! 

April is Autism Awareness Month, and with so many lives being touched by autism, many participants will be dancing to honor a loved one.  The Center for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 68 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder; the rate is higher among boys at 1 in 42.  North Carolina’s autism rate is higher than the national average, though no one knows the reason.

Autism Speaks, the world’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, funds research, helps to educate the public, and advocates for those affected by autism.

“I organized this event as a way to honor my six year old son, Fletcher, who has autism,” says Event Coordinator Jessie Tucker Mitchell, of Winston-Salem. “Bring It Blue is about raising money for a worthy cause, but also about raising autism awareness, and we are excited to invite the entire Triad community to help us accomplish these goals.  Last year’s Bring It Blue was a huge success and we look forward to dancing for such an important cause again this year.”  Also helping to organize and sponsor the event is Lana Schlotfeldt, Event Planner with the Village Inn.

Participating instructors donate their time and talent toward this cause, and many of them dance specifically in honor of someone they know who is on the spectrum.  For instance, Helen Langley Naples, owner of Women’s Wellness and Fitness Center in Winston-Salem and a fitness instructor, will lead several songs on stage in honor of a friend’s son, Carson. 

Several other instructors dance to honor loved ones as well:

Tanya Rodriguez in honor of her 10 year old son, Arturo: “I realized I get to be surprised every day by my son with autism.  It is an adventure!  It has taught me to savor and enjoy all his words and to know they are precious.  It has also taught me to have patience beyond human belief.  Because my son has autism, I am less selfish and I have more compassion about other people and their issues.”

Claudia Rozzi Henry in honor of her 14 year old son, Benjamin: “He has taught me to look outside the box and embrace differences, and that unexpected paths can lead to beautiful and amazing places.”

Taylor Daggert, owner of Studio ZT in Advance, in honor of her 8 year old daughter, Grace: “She has taught me to think out of the box and to not give up trying different methods of parenting until you find out what’s right for your child.  The most successful solutions I’ve found for her were far from what I would have expected them to be!”

Dana Lu Bays Bryson, owner of the Village Inn Event Center in Clemmons, plans to attend Bring It Blue in honor of her 7 year old son, Kyler.  About Kyler, she says, “He has taught me how to listen and slow down and enjoy the small, quiet moments.  His achievements are measured by how great the challenge is to him to overcome, and not by how easily most typical kids breeze by ‘simple’ tasks.  On the flip side, I’m even more amazed by how he approaches, interprets, and solves really difficult problems. Being his mom has taught me a new level of appreciation for him as a unique individual with his own set of offerings to this world.” 

Other instructors who will be participating are certified Zumba   Jammer Von Stanley Gossi, Yuleidy Baldor, Whitney Boger, Bridget Breed, Ale Burrone, Paula Castro, Gail Cherry, Carmen Gonzalez, Amalia Grennan, Yo Graham Hairston, Doris Huerta, Gaby Hurtado, Jennifer Murray, Virginia Roa, Malysa Rogers, Adi Tsemah, Jaiquala Tyree, Jarred Wilson, and Tracie York.