Dancers Raise $1,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities

ORLAND PARK, IL, February 2 - At a time when families gathered to celebrate the season of giving, the directors and members of City Nation Studios held a series of hip-hop workshops and raised $1,000 to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).

”We wanted to do something that would benefit families, and youth in particular,” said Chris Zarate, one of the group’s co-directors.

In all, nearly 45 dancers ranging in age from six to 18, gathered to participate in three hip-hop workshops led by Zarate, his co-director, Donn Lusung, and choreographer Kayla Kurns. There was no admission fee, but dancers were asked to make a minimum donation of one dollar to participate in the workshops.

According to Zarate, the experience helped with skill building and team building. “More than just preparing for competition, we look to strengthen the moral foundations of our dancers and remind them to enjoy themselves. It creates an atmosphere where we are able to share our passion for dance in a very positive way,” he said.

City Nation Studios is a set of competitive dance teams comprised of members from two locations: the Chicago area, where Zarate oversees City Nation, and Anchorage, Alaska where Lusung lives and established Windy City Company. Together, Zarate and Lusung encourage their students to dance with passion, to find purpose in their movements and to have a sense of family among their teammates. “Although we compete, our dancers have a strong bond which makes us more like a family than a competition team,” said Zarate.”

It is this family bond that inspired the directors to select RMHC as the beneficiary of the proceeds from the workshops. “Ronald McDonald House does so much to help families facing illness,” said Zarate adding, “There is nothing more important than being with loved ones during the holiday season.”

Ben Morgridge, Director of Corporate Giving at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana visited the studio to meet the dancers and accept the donation. For more information about Ronald McDonald House Charities, go to www.rmhccni.org.

To learn more about City Nation Studios, go to www.citynationstudios.com.