23 Jan 2011 ZUMBA fuels healthy ‘happy hours’

The idea for this alternative Friday night venue originated at Hendrix. In 2009, Jennifer McCracken, intramural and outdoor recreation coordinator, thought it would be a benefit for the students if we offered “HHHH” (Hendrix Healthy Happy Hour) one Friday night each month during the school year.

Since its inception, HHHH has offered evenings that have featured activities such as glow-in-the-dark Frisbee, glow-in-the-dark kickball plus indoor dodgeball and volleyball. These evenings have been very well received by the students at Hendrix and have provided a healthier option for a Friday night outing.

For the past two months, the WAC has sponsored Friday night ZUMBA parties, an outgrowth of a “ZUMBA for a Cure” fundraiser. The event brought in nearly 100 participants that enjoyed nearly three hours of ZUMBA.

We thought that this would be a great format for another Healthy Happy Hour. On Nov. 12, we launched the initial ZUMBA party and had 65 participants that were treated to three hours of ZUMBA plus a vast supply of refreshments.

The Friday night ZUMBA parties have been attended by college students and a handful of community members. The energy and fun factor during these evenings is incredible and it is great to observe college students getting together for a healthy and fun evening.

Beginning in 2011, all of the proceeds raised from the ZUMBA evenings will go to help with Autism research.

For more information, send an email to [email protected] or call 501.450.1452.