A TERRIFYINGLY exciting message from Countess Helainula!

Happy Halloween from Naples Tango!!

(Special thanks to my "victim" tanguero Lou Milano, to Matt Grasso, to Etudes de Ballet, and to Dimitris of Frini Tango in Chania, Crete.)

"TANGOing the Walk" Pic #2

Here we are, Jeremias and I, tangoing the 2.5 mile United Way walk in the Naples Florida sun! We're flanked here by tangueras Alla "Tango" carrying the Naples Tango/Permission Seduction™ sign, and Ella Holmes carrying water and handheld fans. Roni Olson was just outside the picture frame with my iPod and speakers, as was Marsha Rubin who followed us with my Flip camcorder. Just behind us Daniele Kellams and Ricardo were tangoing too, and sometimes we danced alongside each other. We weren't elegant in our sneakers, but they were great on concrete and asphalt!

The United Way raised $45,000 with this event, last Saturday's "Walk for the Way", a whopping 40% over last year's walk and 21% over this year's projections!  (Way to go, Walk Chairman Craig Bamberg!) Now the fundraising collaboration between Naples Tango and the United Way continues: for every Naples Tango student that is a current United Way contributor, or that enrolls in our courses or boot camps through a United Way referral, I will donate 20% of their course fees to the United Way!

"TANGOing the Walk" Pic #1

Here I am with Collier County United Way's "Walk for the Way" Chairman Craig Bamberg shortly before the walk.  Craig was helping me warm up for "TANGOing the Walk" with Jeremias Massera on Saturday, September 26.

It was here that I ascertained that Jeremias and I had both better wear sneakers for the walk, otherwise we'd never be able to pivot on 2.5 miles of rough cement and asphalt!

Molly Page, of PrintPageUSA.com and United Way Board member, took the photo and wrote a great article last Friday's Collier Citizen.  You can read the article by clicking here: http://tiny.cc/TangoingTheWalk

Craig managed the event brilliantly!  He and Mollie and their team had a great fundraising success.  Craig had projected raising $37,000 that day, which would have been a 15% increase over last year's walk, but the donations came in at $45,000 this time, a whopping 20% beyond his optimistic projections. Tell me about recession!  When you work well, you can still break records and beat your goals!!