Dancing for Dollars

For those of you in the U.S., I hope that you had a fun and relaxing Labor Day weekend. Mine was a nice mixture of learning, housework (very little), and relaxing.

My fellow Friendship Bridge women and I are preparing for our big, annual fundraiser. The last two years, we have hosted Salsa nights, complete with lessons. (I think I flunked Salsa 101...) This year, we are just having a big dance party with a band that plays music from many eras. That sounds more my style. Just movin' to the groovin'.

Here is a pic from a couple of years ago. Some friends, along with Mr. Carol For Peace, are following the "easy" step-by-step Salsa instructions:



The money that we raise through this fundraiser and other creative means throughout the year helps to create micro credit loans for women in Guatemala.





From the Friendship Bridge website:

Friendship Bridge is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides microcredit and educational programs so women and their families can create their own solutions to poverty.

Friendship Bridge blends the short-term economic development needs of women through access to credit and education with the long-term goal of breaking the generational cycle of poverty by providing educational opportunities for their children.

Friendship Bridge has affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of rural people by investing in women entrepreneurs, first in Vietnam and now in rural Guatemala – women who become leaders and agents of change for themselves, their families and communities.

My challenge to you:

For every donation of $10 to this cause, I promise that I will post a photo on my blog of myself dancing the night away. All you need to do is write me here telling me that you want to contribute and I'll email you back with the address of where to send the money.

I want you to know that I don't like getting my photo taken - and to have one of me dancing , well, I guess I'll do almost anything to raise money for these women and children who don't have enough for food and education. (And yes, I am also donating much more than $10 myself).

Of course, if you live in the Denver area, you can come to our event at the D-Note on September 19th at 7:30 and dance with me!

There are tons of worthy causes. We all have the freedom to contribute where our heart calls us. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my blog. Therefore, if you are not called to contribute to this cause, I truly, truly understand (and still love you!).

I also understand that it just might not make your day to see a photo of a middle-aged woman dancing her heart out. ;-)



If you don't know about the Guatemalan Civil War, which lasted THIRTY-SIX YEARS, you can read about it here (you will also find there a little bit about U.S. involvement.) The women we help are survivors of the brutal violence that killed 200,000 people. Because of the horrors of that time, they were left with no education and no means to support their children.