Read about what some of our clubs have done to raise money for Dance4Life and get some inspiring ideas for your club.

Gold's Gym, Idaho, USA 2007

For the past two years, the team at Gold's Gym, Idaho has raised the most money for Dance4Life. BODYJAM™ instructor Julie Bush tells us about their campaign and why they enjoy taking part Dance4Life:

"We launched all of our LES MILLS™ programs throughout the day and held another quality silent auction for our guests and members. Also, instead of T-shirts, we had cinch sacks (pictured) made with the Dance4Life and Gold's Gym logos printed on them. We filled the sacks with coupons and goodies and sold them for donation - they were a hit! 

"It is now over and I am kind of sad about it... the planning was fun and we all had a positive team experience yesterday. It does wonders for a team to work so hard together with a focus we are all passionate about! The fundraising was awesome and the reaction to all the latest LES MILLS™ releases was MORE than enthusiastic!

"It’s such a great cause and wonderful news to hear that Dance4Life has BIG plans to get BIGGER – we feel fortunate to be a part of that. We are thankful Les Mills has teamed up with Dance4Life to raise awareness and give us a foundation to create a team building experience while fund raising behind such a global effort against HIV and AIDS. Thanks again!"

Click here to download Julie’s step-by-step Dance4Life guide…

PROFITNESS, ARIZONA, 2007

ProFitnessArizona also took part in the LES MILLS™ campaign for Dance4Life, and together they raised USD1100 for Dance4Life! This is what Nicolle, who organized the event, told us:

"Our Dance4Life/BODYJAM™-athon (three hours of BODYJAM™, food, non-alcoholic drinks, games and a pajama party for the kids) was a success! 

"Our studio, ProFitnessArizona, is small – we have about 340 members and have been open for over two years. We did not spend any money on advertising. Any money needed for creating Dance4Life branded items such as ‘Jamdannas’ was donated by my supportive co-workers.

"In the end, we had over 60 people come through our doors, mostly members, their friends and families. Over 20 local businesses supported our efforts with raffle prize donations. We had five BODYJAM™ instructors who taught for three hours straight for free. We had a small committee of four who helped organize and plan the event. 

"We raised $1100!!! WOW!  We are entirely excited about the success and the buzz is still going through the studio today!"

SALEM ATHLETIC CLUB, NEW HAMPSHIRE, 2007

The Salem Athletic Club raised an amazing USD2500 for Dance4Life. Cheryl Polinsky shares her success story:

"In the month leading up to the event we kept a donation box at reception and gave the incentive that two of our managers would join us on stage for BODYJAM™ if we raised enough money. Everyone was really excited that Charlie (sales manager) and Al (part owner/gym) were going to dance! We also posted event information and Dance4Life information all around the club to build the excitement! 

"On the day of the event we launched four of our LES MILLS™ programs and held a silent auction in the lobby. The classes were over-capacity and the energy was through the roof. I know Dance4Life is about raising money for the education programs but it was exciting to bring this awareness to people who wouldn't normally think about it. Many participants were asking questions about the organization and throughout the day we gave them details of what Dance4Life does. Awareness is a powerful tool!

We had the biggest BODYJAM™ class that Salem Athletic Club has ever had! The members went crazy when Charlie and Al hit the stage. For that one hour we were united with Dance4Life in the fight against HIV and AIDS and it was very powerful! We look forward to doing this again next year and hope to raise even more money for this great cause!"

Gold's Gym, Boise, Idaho, 2006

The biggest contributors to the Les Mills 2006 Dance4Life campaign were Gold’s Gym in Boise, Idaho who donated USD3,000. Again it was BODYJAM™ instructor Julie Bush who showed initiative by organising a silent auction to complement their launch of BODYJAM™ 39 and the Dance4Life fundraiser. They also sold t-shirts to raise money. Here’s how they ran their successful Dance4Life Campaign…

Planning:
BODYJAM™ 39 was launched on January 27 and planning for the event began during the second week of November.

Initially the gym created a letter to take or send to businesses to get them involved in the event. Advertising on the t-shirts was offered if businesses donated to the silent auction. The businesses were also alerted to the fact that a local television station would be broadcasting from the gym a week before the event to promote the Les Mills launch. Julie sent numerous emails to staff (about 70 Group Fitness instructors) to get them to use any and all resources they had to donate items to the silent auction. This, by far, was the most effective way to get money for Dance4Life.

Staff were generous putting together gift baskets, donating spa certificates and vouchers for services from cellular phones to chiropractic care. Some instructors even donated baked goods. There was outdoor recreation gear, a big cruiser bike and art.

Why it was successful:
The key to putting the auction together was to present it well and organize it effectively as items had different auction ending times. It went off without a hitch. If the winner of the auction was present, they paid right away and got their item. If not, Julie called them and arranged to meet them at the gym the following day. Everyone cooperated and felt great about the cause.

T-shirts were made with the Dance4Life logo and screen printed at a very affordable cost. The t-shirts were sold at the launch for $10. A lot of money was collected as people were willing to pay that amount for a new shirt.

The event was promoted with Dance4Life signage at all (four) gym locations and there was some television air time featuring all of the LES MILLS™ group fitness programs on offer and the Dance4Life fundraiser/silent auction. The actual launch day was a huge draw and enormous success.

Les Mills Wellington

In New Zealand, Les Mills Wellington got into spirit of fundraising with a two hour dance party, complete with a MC and special lighting to enhance that party atmosphere. The evening included dance performances and two BODYJAM™ classes and was attended by around 200 people, raising $NZ1,000.

Please contact melanie@lesmills.com with your 2008 Dance4Life plans.