“As long as I can keep walking up these stairs, I want to dance.”

Ninety-six year-old Patricia "Pat" Tolkoff has been a student at the Arthur Murray Dance Center of Chatham for over twenty years. Among the staff and student base, Pat is an inspiration, mentor, and friend, and something akin to dance royalty in the New Jersey dance community. Her name is known across the state among studio owners, professional judges, event coordinators, and, of course, admiring dance hobbyists.

But recently, Pat has struggled to maintain the pasttime that has given her--and her admirers--so much happiness. As she herself admits, “I’ve outlived my money." Over the past few years, she has had to scale back her dancing considerably to continue affording basic necessities.

In partnership with Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Chatham, we’re trying to help Pat continue the hobby that she credits for having kept her alive!

This GoFundMe account was created to help Pat reach the following goals this year:

-Attend two (2) private lessons per week with her current instructor.

-Attend May 7th Team Match dance event

-Attend August 14th Summer Showcase dance event (She's NEVER missed a showcase!)

-Attend September 25th Garden State Invitational dance event

-Attend November 19th Team Match dance event

-Attend December 9th Winter Showcase dance event.


These events, along with her private lessons, will allow Pat to continue to maintain her dancing social life and remain an active part of the community she has been an icon of for over 20 years!  

We appreciate all donations. A special thanks to Danny and Jennifer Villavicencio for pledging to double any service Pat recieves as a result of this donation campaign! 

Let's help Pat, everybody! Please share this fundraiser on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, what have you. Every penny counts.