We need a new Floor!
Donation protected
Hi my name is Shawn and I am the owner of Arizona Ballroom Champions. Four years ago I set out to create a dance studio that was focused on giving back to the community. It has been my number one priority as a small business owner. I didn't have a lot of money to give, but I did have something to offer, and that was the gift of dance.
Shortly after opening my studio I was introduced to the Stroke Survivor and Caregiver community at a Stroke Camp. I volunteered for the weekend and my life was changed from that event. After that weekend I knew that I could be doing more with this community and decided to create a FREE dance class for Stroke Survivors and their Caregivers. Our first class had four people. After a few weeks the class started getting bigger and bigger. We currently have 20-30 participants in the class every week.
After the success of the class, I still felt like we could be doing more. So with the help of my friend Terri and Patrick, we decided to create a fundraiser called Dancing for Stroke. This event took Dr's, nurses, first responders, and various other members of the community and taught them to dance. After teaching them to dance, they would compete in a Dancing with the Stars type competition. We are currently preparing for our fourth year of this competition, and so far we have raised over $750,000 for Stroke Survivors and their Caregivers. The money raised goes for after care programs that benefit the survivors and their caregivers.
Now comes the hard part. My dance floor has been slowly falling apart for the past few years. And the past storm caused quite a bit of damage and my floor is becoming completely unusable and I am afraid someone is going to hurt themselves. Unfortunately my insurance does not cover the water damage and I am trying to get the landlord to take responsibility for the damage of the floor and it is not going well. So I need help replacing the floor. It is going to cost me close to $25,000 to fully fix the floor. I am hoping to raise $15,000 and I will be taking care of the rest. That is something that I can not come up with during our slower summer months and I don't know how much longer we can dance on it.
That is why I am reaching out to the community. I need help replacing the floor. But I feel guilty asking for help. So for every dollar raised, I will be donating it back to the Dancing for Stroke Charity with in the next 6-12 months. If you can help me replace my floor, you will also be helping Stroke Survivors and their Caregivers with the amazing programs created by Dignity Health.
Shortly after opening my studio I was introduced to the Stroke Survivor and Caregiver community at a Stroke Camp. I volunteered for the weekend and my life was changed from that event. After that weekend I knew that I could be doing more with this community and decided to create a FREE dance class for Stroke Survivors and their Caregivers. Our first class had four people. After a few weeks the class started getting bigger and bigger. We currently have 20-30 participants in the class every week.
After the success of the class, I still felt like we could be doing more. So with the help of my friend Terri and Patrick, we decided to create a fundraiser called Dancing for Stroke. This event took Dr's, nurses, first responders, and various other members of the community and taught them to dance. After teaching them to dance, they would compete in a Dancing with the Stars type competition. We are currently preparing for our fourth year of this competition, and so far we have raised over $750,000 for Stroke Survivors and their Caregivers. The money raised goes for after care programs that benefit the survivors and their caregivers.
Now comes the hard part. My dance floor has been slowly falling apart for the past few years. And the past storm caused quite a bit of damage and my floor is becoming completely unusable and I am afraid someone is going to hurt themselves. Unfortunately my insurance does not cover the water damage and I am trying to get the landlord to take responsibility for the damage of the floor and it is not going well. So I need help replacing the floor. It is going to cost me close to $25,000 to fully fix the floor. I am hoping to raise $15,000 and I will be taking care of the rest. That is something that I can not come up with during our slower summer months and I don't know how much longer we can dance on it.
That is why I am reaching out to the community. I need help replacing the floor. But I feel guilty asking for help. So for every dollar raised, I will be donating it back to the Dancing for Stroke Charity with in the next 6-12 months. If you can help me replace my floor, you will also be helping Stroke Survivors and their Caregivers with the amazing programs created by Dignity Health.
Organizer
Shawn Lopez-Nerdahl
Organizer
Tempe, AZ
