Salsa social to benefit children's art programs in New Orleans
Johnny Rumba hopes to put a new spin on fundraising with his upcoming "Save the Arts Salsa Social" Saturday.
The dance workshop will benefit the After the Storm Foundation, an organization that provides funding for children's' programs in New Orleans.
The Salsa Social will run from 1 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday at La Quebrada Restaurant, 50 N. Spring St. in Elgin.
Salsa dancing workshops, led by professional dance instructors, will run from 1 to 6 p.m. to instruct salsa rookies or help those looking to add a little pep to their step. From to 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. the dance instructors will put on a salsa showcase that will be open to the public.
After that, the dance floor opens up again for anyone who wants to showcase their own moves. There will also be an area for kids to dance too.
The cost to enter the workshops is $10 a person, as is the fee to enter the open dancing. The showcase entry fee is $5 a person. People also have the option of paying $15 for an all access pass that allows them to participate in everything.
For Rumba, a dance instructor at the Dixon Dance Academy in West Dundee, the event is a unique twist on the fundraising game.
"What I'm really trying to do is bring something completely new to Elgin, it's time for new blood and new ideas. I want to bring out art in the community ... and there's no salsa dancing in Elgin," Rumba said.
The proceeds from the event will benefit the After the Storm Foundation, a not for profit group that aides New Orleans reconstruction efforts by supporting and funding programs directed toward kids and teens, especially projects that have to do with the arts. After Hurricane Katrina many youth centers were destroyed, leaving kids with no venue for arts programs.
"We need to spread the seed of art. We need kids, if they're playing Rockband (the video game), we need them in an actual band where they're learning to play instruments," Rumba said.
Rumba doesn't have any friends or family who live in New Orleans or who were directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. He just wants to do everything he can to bring the arts to as many kids as possible.
"All the way in Elgin, Illinois, we're doing something for New Orleans. It will be cool to say this little city out in Illinois wanted to generate money for New Orleans," Rumba said.
"We should always do something good to help out people who are doing something good. It will change somebody's life and that's important."
Rumba hopes to make the Salsa Social an annual event and eventually have socials in other towns like Naperville or Aurora. He wants to pick a different charity every year.
If you go
What: The "Save the Arts Salsa Social," an event to raise money for the After the Storm Foundation, a not for profit group that funds programs for teens in New Orleans.
When: Professional dance instructors will hold salsa dancing workshops from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday. From 6 to 8 p.m., the instructors will put on a salsa showcase and then open the dance floor to the public until 2 a.m. Saturday.
Where: La Quebrada Restaurant, 50 N. Spring St. in Elgin
Cost: $10 for the workshop, $10 for the opening dancing and $5 to see the showcase. People can also purchase a $15 all-day pass that covers the cost of everything.
Call: (224) 201-2542