MORE than £2,000 was raised through dance for Warwick charity Molly Olly’s Wishes thanks to two events at the weekend.
Some 120 people took part in two hours of dance at the Coventry Zumbathon in Square One on Saturday while, the following day, 70 members of Viva Theatre Arts in Kenilworth came together at Warwick School for a showcase of dance, performing from a variety of genres including tap, ballet, jazz, modern and lyrical.
Viva Principal Claudia Temple said: “The students had a wonderful afternoon presenting their dance showcase Once Upon A Time at Warwick Hall to an audience of 300. The show included appearances from dancing peapods, squirrels, jockeys and chess pieces!
“We are currently working out what was raised by the raffle, the programmes, the tombola and the name the Teddy competition and we hope to make some more special children’s Wishes come true with our donation”.
Molly Olly’s Wishes was established in 2011 following the death of Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw’s eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer. It works to support children with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families and help with their emotional wellbeing, grants wishes and donates therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.
Charity trustee Rachel Ollerenshaw said: “It never ceases to amaze us how brilliant the Viva show is. Claudia and her team work so hard to put everything together to make it happen but of course the children are the stars of the show.
“Each and every one of them put their all into it and the result is both beautiful and emotional to watch. It is a real honour to be able to watch , there is a huge amount of talent and the support that everyone at Viva has given to Molly Olly’s is incredibly kind and very much appreciated.”
Of the Zumbathon, she added: “This was such a fun way to raise money. The Molly Olly Team had a great time with Matt at The Zumbathon on Saturday in Coventry. Matt was a brilliant instructor and everyone who attended had a brilliant time keeping fit and raising funds. Even Olly tried out a few moves!
“A big thank you to him for organising and everyone who came along and supported. We loved it.”
For further details about the charity and to learn more about how to help or donate, visit: www.mollyolly.co.uk
Read more about the work of Molly Olly’s Wishes and its trustee Rachel Ollerenshaw here
