Dancing in line for a good cause

Posted Date: 26 May 2009 at 08:42:43 AM

TheStar, Thursday 2006 July 27.

By CHARLES FERNANDEZ

MORE than 3,500 people danced to their hearts’ content while raising funds for the less fortunate at a charity event held at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) hall in Cheras recently.

The “Care To Dance 2006”, believed to be the biggest charity line dancing gathering ever held, collected RM30,000. Each participant had to pay RM15 to join the mammoth line dance.

It was the first such event organised by the Kiwanis Club of Sri Hartamas and the Federal Territory and Selangor Wanita MCA with some help from the PJU Line Dance group.

The event was launched by Datin Seri Wendy Ong, wife of MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.

The money collected will go to six charities – Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation, Protect and Save The Children Association, Agathians Shelter, House of Joy, Federal Territory and Selangor Senior Citizens Association and Kiwanis Club of Sri Hartamas.

“It is very heart warming to see thousands of people showing up to perform line dancing, to exercise and more importantly to help raise funds for a charitable cause,’’ said Ong.

She said line dancing should be encouraged as it transcended all ages and it could be treated as a social activity among the nation’s multi-racial people. 
“It contributes towards maintaining a good level of communication and interaction,’’ she added.

Ong said although more than 90% of line dancers were women, efforts were being made to encourage men to participate in line dancing.

“The majority of the line dancing teachers are men, therefore it should be an impetus for the men to join in,’’ she said to applause.

“Events like this is in line with the MCA Lifelong Learning programme,’’ she added.

Organising committee chairman Datin Chew Mei Fun said the event had brought together members of Selangor Wanita MCA and women from urban areas with those in remote areas.

She said the Federal Territory and Selangor Wanita MCA would be setting up 100 line dance ambassador groups to advocate line dancing in the community.