Free Dance Fitness Event Benefits Brain Tumor Research and Support

BANNOCKBURN, IL - A free dance fitness class and fundraiser Friday at Midtown Athletic Club in Bannockburn will donate 100% of its proceeds to the American Brain Tumor Association. The event, a high energy "WERQ" cardio dance workout, is being led by Bari Kaplan, Paula Kooperman and Marnie Wilcox and is scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm Feb. 3. There's no need to register and non-members are welcome, suggestion donations are $25 and some remaining charity T-shirts will be available for $20 each, with all of the revenue going to the ABTA, organizers said.

"Just show up ready to dance and have fun for a good cause," Kaplan said, "Midtown has been wonderful in letting us have these charity events." It's the second fundraiser Kaplan, a Highland Park resident and dance fitness instructor at the club, has helped organized at Midtown Bannockburn. Last September, she held an event to benefit the Roock family of Chicago, who suffered the loss of two of their three young daughters in a car accident. A GoFundMe campaign for the family has raised more than $200,000 since August.

Friday's "WERQout" was inspired by Juliana Schafer, a close friend of Midtown member Ariel Dorfman. Schafer is a 12 year survivor of a brain tumor, and Dorfman was inspired to offer her friend support by organizing the fundraiser. She suggested the idea of holding an ABTA benefit event at Midtown to Kaplan, who then asked her manager at the club, "Before I could even finish, she was like, 'Yes, yes,'" Kaplan remembers.

While the event is free and open to all, those interested in RSVPing for the "Super WERQout" on Super Bowl weekend are encouraged to email Marnie Wilcox.