Fitness Lovers Set to Boogey Down at Toys for Tots Zumbathon

This is the time of year for giving and volunteering, and for area fitness instructors, dance exercise is a great way to do so. Jubilee Fitness instructors will begin to boogey down starting at 6:30 p.m. this Friday evening during the third annual Toys for Tots Zumbathon held at Jubilee Fitness, 4001 Sunset Dr. #1130, inside the mall.

Sarah Williamson, a fitness instructor at Jubilee Fitness who teaches Zumba and occasionally substitutes for the Zumba Step class, said, “It’s an hour-and-a-half to two-hour Zumba class. We have instructors from our fitness center as well as in San Angelo and the surrounding areas who come volunteer their time to teach. We’re also collecting new toys to give to the Toys for Tots organization. To participate, people have to bring a new unwrapped toy to come boogey down, sweat and party.”

At this time, Williamson confirmed that more than 20 people will be attending, which is based on numbers posted from the Facebook event created for the Zumbathon. However, many people don’t confirm through Facebook because they don’t have an account or use social media.

“I really have no idea how many to expect,” Williamson said. “We do have quite a few instructors planning on participating from Brady, from Heroes, from instructors in town who are just freelance. When you add in all the instructors and participants, it can get kind of full in there.”

This is officially the third year Jubilee Fitness has hosted the event, but Williamson said Jubilee wwasn’t able to do one last year, only in 2012 and 2013. However, she said the Zumbathon in 2013 had a lasting effect, and she is not sure if this year or future events can surpass it.

“We brought in an international Zumba presenter,” explained Williamson. “Her name is Kass Martin. She’s been on the DVDs. We brought her down as a special guest, so things were pretty pumped up to a level that I don’t know if it can be beat.

Williamson said that event was held at the McNease Convention Center. Jubilee Fitness had VIP, and more than 100 people filled the main room.

“It was really a special event,” Williamson recalled. “That was a good time.”

The instructor said Jubilee didn’t hold the Zumbathon last year because of the timing.

“Sometimes it isn’t feasible to get everyone to participate,” she said. “When we hold this type of event, we need all the support we can get.”

This year, Jubilee had all the support, so instructors could run with the event as usual. Outside supporters have also begun to help out. Williamson said some people who could not attend tonight’s event have donated toys.

“Overall, we just hope to collect as many toys as we can,” Williamson stated.

So, for the people who would like to attend tonight’s event and have never tried Zumba, they can go and participate in a way that works for them.

“It is a little different if you haven’t done it before,” Williamson noted.

She said people can catch on to most routines fairly quickly, and they can take breaks as needed.

“It’s really more about the energy from everyone being in the room together—just sweating and cheering,” Williamson said. “It’s really a fun vibe and low key as far as commitment.”

She said people can also hang out in the back, and it’s friendly for beginners as well as people who have done fitness for a while. People can make it low impact or higher impact depending on their fitness level.

Additionally, Williamson said, as a studio, this is one way for Jubilee to give back to the community, something the business does when it can.

“We try to stick to local organizations because we think it’s important to support San Angelo and the people in it,” she said.

Therefore, the instructors look for any opportunity they can to give back and show solidarity.

“We hold Zumbathons for different organizations, not only for Toys for Tots; we also do it for breast cancer awareness for Susan B. Komen,” Williamson said. “We usually hope to do the Party in Pink™ for breast cancer every year. I think we’ve done it for five years now.”

Williamson also said Zumbathons have been held for local families.

“They’re usually well received as far as turnout from our students and maybe their families who are in town,” she said.

Williamson said the Zumbathon events are also a great way to show people in the local community what a live class has to offer.

“There is something different about doing a live class versus a DVD,” she said.

The instructor added that she used to work out to the DVDs because she was a very private person and unsure of herself while exercising around other people. She was very shy, but when she tried “Mary’s class” back at TLC when it was free, it was full with 100 plus people.

“It was ‘wow look at this!’ I had so much fun. I was hooked,” she recalled. “I don’t do DVDs much at home anymore—maybe for instructing purposes—but the classes, you can’t beat the live class.”

Jubilee offers Zumba classes both in the morning and evening.

As for the music, whether it’s the Toys for Tots Zumbathon, or a regular class, people can expect to exercise to Salsa, Cumbia, Raggaeton, Merengue, and the instructors also throw in international styles like Flamenco and Belly Dance. They also put Hip Hop and Pop songs that people hear on the radio because they seem to get excited dancing to something they recognize.

“It bumps up that fun element when they hear that,” Williamson said. “It’s different genres of music.”

For more information about tonight’s Toys for Tots Zumbathon, contact Jubilee Fitness at (325)227-3226.