Rhonda Dunn, Fort Scott, remembers Christy Hays from when they were in the same sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, while attending Pittsburg State.
“I don’t remember her major from college,” Dunn said. “It wasn’t zumba, I know that. She’s always been fun and energetic, though.”
On Saturday, Hays put that fun and energy to work, leading a zumba fundraiser for the alumnae chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta on Saturday morning. More than 40 women showed up to follow Hays’ lead in teaching the cardio workout in a session that lasted an hour and a half.
“We ended up burning 1,019 calories,” Hays said. “It’s like dancing. But it’s a lot less structured of a workout. you don’t count steps and you don’t count reps. It’s a really energetic exercise.”
That was obvious to anyone who watched the workout. Hays guided the group, which included alumnae from Kansas City, Tulsa and southeast Kansas, as well as some non-alumnae from Tulsa, through a series of dance steps and workouts matched to music. The music and dancing were eclectic, featuring hip-hop, Indian-influenced dancing, belly dancing, latin dancing and brazilian dancing.
The event raised more than $400 for the alumnae chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta, and the money will go to scholarships for current members of the sorority.
Organizers said the idea was Hays', but the group quickly latched on to a nontraditional fundraising opportunity.
“It was her idea to put this on,” said Dunn, treasurer of the alumnae chapter. “Fundraising in a small community often gets so redundant. It’s the same thing for Alpha Gamma Delta. Our charity is diabetes awareness, and this exercise is an aspect that fits into our overall goal.”
It also fits in well with Hays’ goals. She now teaches five classes of zumba a week with 50 people attending each class. She also has her own website, www.letszumbanow.com.
About every four to five songs, Hays and the group took a break, in which door prizes and other drawings were distributed to the attendees. The event was just as important to the alumnae members as it was to Hays.
In fact, the attendees included a group from the 1970s, another from the 1980s, several from the ‘90s, and more modern alumnae. Dunn said there were even some from the ‘60s, which is remarkable given that the Alpha Gamma Delta chapter was started at Pittsburg State in 1959.
“It’s one thing that’s important in our lives,” Dunn said. “We are still supporting the current collegians. We provide scholarships through the alumnae chapter. We help them through events like this, but it’s really a big social thing for us.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
