Dear Friends,
Join our donation class this Saturday!
Please join Jessica, Cassidy and the entire Kissane family in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day and our 5th annual Stop Drop and Dance fundraiser for Ruby's Rainbow 3/21 Pledge!
The 3/21 Pledge is a program developed by Ruby's Rainbow, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adult students with Down syndrome by helping them achieve their dreams of higher education.
Why 3/21?
Individuals with Down Syndrome have three copies of the 21st chromosome. This is why March 21st (3/21), is World Down Syndrome Day - a day when we celebrate these amazing individuals who are rockin' that extra chromosome!
The Ruby's Rainbow mission...
...is to grant scholarships to adult students with Down syndrome in the United States who are seeking post-secondary education, helping them achieve their dreams of higher education while spreading awareness of their capabilities and general awesomeness.
Last year was incredibly special because we reached $3,210 which gave us the opportunity to award a Ruby's Rainbow scholarship!
2023
Sarah is this year’s recipient of the Ruby’s Rainbow Cassidy and Stop, Drop and Dance Scholarship Award. This fall she is very excited to begin her freshman year in the IDEAL program at Lipscomb University, where she plans to study marketing and floral design. After college, she plans to live with friends and design floral arrangements.
Sarah is proud of the four years she spent on her high school swim team. She was also active in Unified Sports and Best Buddies. Her hobbies include swimming, painting, singing, dancing and going out for smoothies with her friends.
We believe in you, Sarah! We can’t wait to see you rock it in college!
This is our fifth year participating in this 321 Pledge fundraiser and we hope to raise enough to grant another scholarship for 2024!
Donate here to Jessica and Cassidy Kissane's Ruby Rainbow Fundraiser!
Even if you are not able to dance with us, thank you for your donation to our cause!
With your donation, you can come in-person to class at 1 Thorndale Drive in San Rafael at 9:30am on Saturday, March 23rd,or you will receive the Zoom link in your Eventbrite email.
If you are coming in-person, wear RAINBOWS, RAINBOWS, RAINBOWS!
With your donation, all donors will receive an on-demand recording of our class for the following week.
Save the (Other Important) Dates!
Thursday, March 21st, 9:30am @ UUMarin
(240 Channing Way, San Rafael)
Happy Birthday Sunny St. Germain!
Just like her name, we are celebrating Sunny with a "Sunshine in my Soul" theme! Join us for a 75 Minute Stop Drop and Dance class to her favorite songs!
THEME: Wear your Gold "Shine Your Light" tank or any yellow sunny workout clothing!
Thursday, March 28th, 9:30am @ UUMarin
(240 Channing Way, San Rafael)
Happy Birthday Andrea Spencer!
Please join Andrea as we celebrate her 65th birthday with a guaranteed high-cardio Stop Drop and Dance class followed by treats after class from Andrea up on the church hill!
THEME: Wear Andrea's favorite color, yellow!
Saturday, March 30th, 9:30am @ The Garage
(1 Thorndale Drive, San Rafael)
Happy Birthday Suneela Jain
Please join Suneela as we celebrate her birthday for the first time! Suneela comes only on Saturdays and recently joined our Belize retreat in January, so she is ready to say YES (hesitantly) to letting us celebrate her!
THEME: Come as you are!
*NEW FOR WEDNESDAYS*
9:30am-10:45am (one class only)
75 Minute Strength & Stretch
We are switching up our Wednesday offering starting this week and we'd love for you to try it out! The feedback has been to do shorter classes and to add in pure strength so we are combining our original 2-hour HIIT & Yoga and creating a new 75 Minute Strength & Stretch class!
9:30am 45 Minute Pure Strength
10:15am 30 Minute Stretch
(meant to take together if you can stay for 75 minutes!)
Bring 2 pairs of dumbbells (I use 8's and 12's)and a mat. This is a beginner-friendly full body workout for all-levels where you can move at your own pace through the exercises and then finish with yummy and necessary stretches to keep your body feeling great!
Small classes, big energy, and accountability with a supportive community!
For those of you who are on the $70/month membership that includes unlimited ONLINE access to all our live zooms, previously-live recorded classes, and on-demand classes… remember this Wednesday class is included IN-PERSON (Stop Drop and Dance classes are $12 additional drop-in).
We hope this will motivate more of you to come IN-PERSON and start incorporating more strength and stretch into your weekly workout routine!
We raised $1200 for the Postpartum Support Center of Marin!
Thank you to the mothers and daughters who donated diapers for the @postpartumsupportcenter of Marin and joined our Stop Drop and Dance fundraiser at Sun Valley Elementary School last Friday night! We made it a glow-in-the-dark class with mothers and daughters taking turns dancing on stage and we raised over $1200!
The National Charity League is a philanthropic organization committed to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences, while fostering mother daughter relationships from 7th to 12th grade.
Thank you to Chalita Photikoe for organizing the event on behalf of the National Charity League San Rafael Mission Belles chapter, providing snacks and refreshments, and helping to set up and clean up. Also, a big thank you goes out to our backup dancers Sara Rainbolt and my two daughters for warming up the dance floor and leading the dances!
"When we invest in women and girls, we are investing in the people who invest in everyone else."
- Melinda Gates
Thank you for raising $3430 for JED Foundation and helping to strengthen mental health and prevent suicides ❤️
This past Saturday, we celebrated Marianne Jacobson’s birthday by dancing and donating to @jedfoundation for the second year in a row. We are so grateful to all of you who generously contributed to this serious and devastating cause, and we are hopeful to be part of the positive change for our teens and young adults.
A big shoutout goes to Marianne’s husband, Bob, who danced with us for the very first time and finally got to meet our wonderful community, and to Marianne’s sister, Christina, for joining virtually.
Thank you to everyone who joined Marianne on Saturday and even ended up "on stage" at the end of class!
Go Shawty, It's Your Birthday!
There are no other ladies I would want to go out “In Da Club” with. You guys dance longer, dance harder and dance with more heart than anyone else.
How is it possible to laugh and smile one moment, then literally be moved to tears the next?
Last Tuesday, mastermind Erin Meyers and helpers Sara Rainbolt and Lisa Butcher, organized a surprise birthday class for me with dance stickers and "I love dance" bracelets for everyone, a jar prepared for people to write notes to put inside, balloons and a “Go Shawty” banner (it's my new nickname), and a community gathering after class up on the hill with snacks and treats!
As if that wasn’t enough…
Erin organized a secret community gift including a disco ball heart tank (she read my mind), a gift certificate to Brooks shoes (need to change your shoes every 6 months or 500 miles!), and she reached out to the artist, Nashy, in Niseko, Japan to deliver a limited, authentic framed artwork of her “Lose Yourself to Dance” piece that I stumbled upon a few weeks ago during my trip to Hokkaido and had shared in my newsletter! Nashy doesn't even speak English! I am blown away by the thoughtfulness behind this gift and can’t wait for it to arrive!
I am so grateful and so blessed to be surrounded by all of you beautiful souls, inside and out. Thank you, friends!
“Powerful” by Major Slusher
Some of you requested the full audio of this POWERFUL spoken word that I shared at the end of Stop Drop and Dance class on Tuesday.
I hope it speaks to you.
I hope it inspires you.
I hope it moves you like it did for me.
I am rooting for you.
A special thank you goes out to Kathy Green for capturing our women circle!
When The Power With Grace Community Goes to a Karaoke Bar...
This past Wednesday was our community hangout night at the new Ranch Water Bar that just opened a month ago in downtown San Rafael.
Some of us started off the night at 7:30pm and some of us ended the night at 11:30pm!
(And then woke up for Stop Drop and Dance class at 9:30am the next morning)
It’s one thing to show up with 25 ladies anywhere.
It’s another thing when our group genuinely exudes unusual positivity and happiness together.
And it’s a whole other level when we start SYNCHRONIZED dancing and singing.
The best!!! You guys are just SO FUN.
Love you all and thanks for a memorable night... and birthday week!
(including the yummiest chocolate raspberry cake baked by Leslie Dinham!)
Love,
Grace
