Bender dance showcase supports prevention of sudden cardiac death

Dancers from the Naperville area will come together Saturday, May 13, to honor one of their own and help ensure that other teens won't die unexpectedly as Kathryn Bender did.

Kathryn was 17 and a senior at Naperville North High School in 2005 when she collapsed and died from cardiac arrest before a dance performance. She had a previously undiagnosed condition called Long QT. Syndrome.

The annual Kathryn Bender Memorial Dance Showcase brings together dance companies from the area to perform and raise money to help with research and prevention of sudden cardiac death, as well as to provide scholarships in the community.

Participants in the showcase include the Orchesis troupes from Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley high schools, along with Academy of Dance Arts, Extensions Dance Company, Beyond the Stars, Dream Contemporary Dance, Steps Dance Center, Elan Dance, School of Performing Arts, and M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Company.

The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with raffles, silent auctions and concessions. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Naperville North.

Tickets, $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors, are available online at naperville203.tix.com. For information, visit kbmf.net.