Montgomery girl’s project to benefit children’s hospital
By PATRICK DONLIN - pdonlin@sungazette.comArticle Photos
As Montgomery Area High School senior Brooke Wise proves, shaking and shimmying about can have a cause to it, too.
Organizing “Dance Steps for Baby Steps,” Wise intends to combine her love of dancing with philanthropy.
From midnight to noon March 15, the floor of the Brady Township Community Center in Elimsport has been donated to the cause. Doors will open to her schoolmates at 11:30 p.m. March 14 before the dance-a-thon kicks off.
Those participating need not be concerned about exhaustion, as no one will be expected to dance non-stop for 12 hours. Several breaks will be allotted throughout the event, and Wise plans to provide refreshments.
Open to students in grades six through 12 in her school district, the event will raise money for the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville.
Care her cousin, Jaiden Boore, received there when he was born prematurely about three years ago was reason enough for Wise to raise money for the hospital. She insists her dance-a-thon, which is not sanctioned by the school, is not part of a senior project.
Born four months before his scheduled delivery date, Boore weighed less than a pound and was 11 inches long, according to Wise.
Today, he is a healthy baby boy, credit Wise attributes to the staff at the Weis Hospital.
“When we thought nothing but the worse, they gave nothing but encouragement and that meant a lot,” Wise said.
All proceeds of the dance will be donated to the hospital by Wise.
Although the event was entirely her idea, it couldn’t have come to fruition without assistance.
Wise credits Heather Shnyder, her former cheerleading adviser, as a co-organizer.
“She has been an incredible help to the whole thing,” Wise said.
Student attendance will make or break the event’s success. Realizing this, Wise has dispersed sponsor sheets to Montgomery students.
Wise explained the event is limited to Montgomery students because practically everyone knows everybody in her small town, and she doesn’t want security concerns to arise from unknown people attending.
Chaperones will be present, as adult relatives of Wise and Shnyder will be supervising the dance.
The students can ask anyone to pledge donations for their dancing — either a flat fee or per hour. When students arrive at the event, they must bring their sponsor sheet and money collected, Wise said.
If students are motivated to collect more than $50 in sponsor money, they can forego the $10 admission fee, according to Wise.
Prizes will awarded for distinguished dancing, Wise said, but for the most part, the event will be an opportunity for students to casually unwind.
A few local businesses already have come forward with donations, but Wise hopes for continued generosity, as her goal is to make a “surprise donation” of at least $5,000 to the hospital.
Music will be provided by “Big Andy,” whom Wise said is a disc jockey at a teen dance club in Milton. Describing Andy’s music, Wise said: “It can range from the Spice Girls to 50 Cent.”
For the most part, Wise said she is getting positive feedback from students who plan to attend.
“Some have already gotten sponsors,” she said.
Scheduled to graduate from Montgomery High this spring, Wise plans to stay in the area, as she is preparing to study dental hygiene at Pennsylvania College of Technology in the fall.
