Dance-a-thon benefits families of domestic violence

The National Charity League Ticktocker Class of 2016 raised $1,500 from a dance-a-thon held on Sunday afternoon in the YWCA’s gymnasium.

Charity League is a mother-daughter charitable organization. The dance-a-thon brought together 22 ninth-graders and 12 mothers for the two-hour event, said Ticktocker Gillian Chuck, 14, vice president of philanthropy for the Glendale chapter.

The Ticktockers chose 20 songs to dance to and asked friends and family to sponsor them for each dance completed, said Gillian’s mother Gabriel Chuck. Everyone was having such a good time that no one sat out of any of the dances, the women said.

The ninth-grade Ticktocker group will use the funds raised for the YWCA’s Adopt a Family program, providing gift baskets for women and children in the YWCA’s Domestic Violence program. The Ticktockers will be filling the baskets at a meeting on Dec. 9 as well as writing greeting cards with personalized messages to the families, Gillian said.

Charity League supports the YWCA as well as other local charities. This year the Class of 2016 has made the YWCA its main philanthropy. The ninth-grade Ticktockers volunteered 646 hours this summer as camp counselors during YWCA of Glendale Summer Camp.

This was the first time the Ticktockers had a dance-a-thon, Gillian said.

In the past, the Ticktockers had been participating in the holiday party with the families in the Domestic Violence program, but YWCA officials wanted to protect the anonymity of the families, so the Ticktockers came up with the dance-a-thon to raise funds to purchase items for the holiday baskets.

“I thought it was innovative way to raise money,” Gabriel Chuck said. “It was definitely a lesson in flexibility, coming up with a new approach. They learned taking responsibility and leadership in pulling off an event. And part of the learning experience is that some people don’t have money for gifts.”

Each year, the YWCA of Glendale runs an Adopt a Family program to provide holiday gifts and necessities to the most underserved and underprivileged women and children it serves, said Lisa Raggio, senior director, Community Services, Development and Communications.

From June 2011 to June 2012, the YWCA of Glendale provided case management services to more than 500 women, sheltered and provided food, clothing and basic necessities to about 50 families as well as providing more than 500 hours of children’s mental health services, Raggio said. Many of the families served by the YWCA do not have the financial or emotional means to provide gifts for their families.

“This year our goal is to provide gifts for 55 women and 75 children in our Domestic Violence program,” she said.

Raggio thanked the Ticktockers for their efforts on the dance-a-thon.

“The money they raised on Sunday will mean that many of the families we serve will have an unexpected opportunity to enjoy their holiday,” Raggio said. “For some of these families, this truly means restoring their faith in the good will of others and exemplifies the holiday spirit.”

To sponsor a family in need, contact Annette Kosker, volunteer coordinator, atannettekosker@glendaleywca.org or (818) 242-4155, Ext. 227.

JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.