“Party in Pink” in Ford City Tomorrow

by Jonathan Weaver

Participants in some local fitness classes and the community can wear pink and raise money for a national non-profit tomorrow morning.

Body Balance aBc in Ford City will host their second “Party in Pink” from 9-11AM tomorrow morning at their Ford Street location (the second floor of the Fitness and Activities Center).

This year’s events were coordinated through Zumba Instructor Alecia Theabout, of Ford City.

An instructor since May and a Zumba participant for six years, Theabout – who is also a chef at Falsetti’s Villa - said she was driven to host the event because of Zumba’s connection to breast cancer awareness.

“As soon as I became an instructor, I said ‘I want to do a Party in Pink.’ The American Breast Cancer Association works with women who don’t have insurance – they rely on these funds to give life-saving mammograms to detect cancer, Theabout said.

“If our party (tomorrow) can save at least one person, I think we’re doing good as a community- I think we’re pulling things together and making things right for someone.”

Mixxed Fit Instructor Casey Gilbertson – also of Ford City - said instructors will offer 30 minutes each of Mixxed Fit, Zumba and Pound fitness classes for free tomorrow morning to support breast cancer awareness.

Gilbertson said there will be about 20 different raffle baskets participants can win, for only the price of a $1 ticket. She said many class participants donated items – such as crafts, candy and shampoo. The major prize is a basket of 10 free fitness classes.

Door prizes will also be given tomorrow morning

Dr Michelle Oleksak will be at the gym to discuss the importance of self exams and mammograms, and Kittanning Township’s own Anna Oberneder – who was crowned “Miss Jewel of the West” and is a former “Miss Armstrong County” – will also stop by the fitness center.

All donations and money raised during the raffles will be given to the American Breast Cancer Association.