Atomic Jitterbombs!

And now, I introduce my young friend Charisse who will be swinging with her team, the Atomic Jitterbombs at the Dance-a-Thon for City of Hope this Saturday March 8. Charisse will endure 24 hours of swinging, jitterbugging and possible potassium deficiency, all in the name of fighting cancer. Please help support this awesome gal reach her fundraising goal!

Here are excerpts from Charisse’s letter where she was trying to get herself psyched up despite the fact that she really can’t dance at all.

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I mean, really, Charisse --Having had the most influential and intriguing and inspiring people in your life battle with cancer themselves, ok... so you know you're not the best swinger, you're NOT the hippest cat, you're actually barely in the "swing-kitten" stage of things, you’re a clumsy little walker, you might even make a fool of yourself trying to dance for 24 hours with some of the greats, BUT you can take this on with the eye of a swing tiger, darn tootin'!!!

Charisse, this is for your family and family friends that passed: tita Ligaya, tita Carol, tito Conrad. They will never be forgotten! "This is for the people who taught you what love is! For your friends who press on with the most awe-inspiring perseverance: Christian (from grade school), Christine (a beautiful woman with the most amazingly mindful and unique perspective on life ...a great filmmaker and the truest friend you could ever ask for... someone who would call around at 2am for you just to help get your skits put together in time for class the next day, and who throws such fun parties, and is so much more alive than life...), this is for your Bobby... (who taught me so much about the value of life and trust, and God and faith... who taught me how to swing dance... who makes me want to be a better person on and off the dance floor...) this is for them... "You, can do this charisse... YOU CAN DO THIS, GIRL!!!!" ...

(to my team captain, i say) "YES, SIGN ME UP! My personal goal is $1000!!!" ... (Crowds cheer)... Then I realized that I have only exactly ONE WEEK to "gitderdone." (aAaAaaAAAAaAAAaaAAhh!!)

So here's the deal, I need your help. If you're stripped for cash, you can still tell your friends who might be better off right now. So, please please help! Please forward this email, let people know!

Please donate under my name, Charisse Mordeno, my team is called "The Atomic Jitterbombs!" ...

ALSO, if you're free next weekend, please, come join in on the festivities, it's an entire weekend of swing... free lessons, and if nothing else, it'll be a greeeeeeeeat show... the really good ones are reeeeeeally good.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

--Charisse