Grand Terrace Turns Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

With live music, an ongoing raffle of pink gifts, and many supporters and participants dressed in pink, a two-part jamming session at the Grand Terrace Woman’s Club’s Zumba Party in Pink breast cancer event at the Grand Terrace High School gym on Oct. 19 had everyone on the dance floor. Appropriately set in October, nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, participants ‘Zumba-ed’ to the up-tempo Latin music and joined Maria Fraser, head Zumba instructor and Party in Pink coordinator, for a two-hour rock-out exercise party aimed at raising awareness of breast cancer and fighting against the disease. Darlene Duron was one of the seven Zumba instructors at the event, and is a cancer survivor herself. She said, “What Maria has done here is great and I feel wonderful.” Herbert Jaco and his 9-year-old grandson, Joseph Jaco, were front and center on the dance floor. Herbert has been participating in the event for years. Jaco shared, “This is my third year participating in Zumba and my grandson’s second year. To be here supporting a cause such as this gives me great honor since both my mother and father passed away from cancer. It’s a great way to help support others here in the community.” Kim Hays of Redlands and her daughter, Emily, also participated. They wore handcrafted shirts reading “Fight” and “Cure” which they had made themselves. Kim explained, “This is our first time coming to an event like this to help support this cause and it is really fun.” Her daughter Emily agreed. “I’m really having fun!” she gushed. Debbie Earle, Immediate Past President of the Women’s Club of Grand Terrace, said, ”Maria Fraser came to me and mentioned wanting to continue her Party in Pink event, and make it bigger than before.” Earle explained that the Women’s Club, of which Fraser is also a member, has sponsored and supported the Zumba event since its inception three years ago.” Earle said, “My mother-in-law has also been a cancer survivor for five years now, and it is a wonderful thing to do something like this, this year.” Earle said all proceeds will go to cancer research, as they have in years past.