For the second year in a row, PAWS of CNY was the grateful beneficiary of donations earned by Oswego College students during a four-hour Zumbathon event. This year’s event was held in the Swetman gymnasium on the Oswego College campus. Attendees zumbaed their way to fitness from 1:00pm – 5:00 pm while raising money for PAWS of CNY.
“At the time we were at the event there were thirty to forty students participating,” said PAWS of CNY volunteer Kevin Campbell who attended the event with his Leonberger Chase. “[Chase] did participate by greeting the students and being available for plenty of hugs and giving out what are known as ‘Leo Licks.'” Other PAWS of CNY volunteers who attended the event included Audrey Sauer and her great dane Copper, Tom O’Connell and his golden retriever Decoy and Heather Rubinstein and her labrador-rottweiler mix Diego.
Zumba is a dance fitness program that involves both dance and aerobic elements. Zumba’s choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo and martial arts. For those students who participated in this year’s fundraiser, they not only experienced the health and fitness benefits of Zumba, but of PAWS of CNY’s healing therapy dogs as well. Said Campbell, “For many, the therapy dogs [offer] a great relief from the pressures of being in an academic institution. The Therapy Dogs provide a break from their studies and are providers of a great stress relief. Therapy pets provide benefits that are realized physically, mentally, and socially.”
PAWS of CNY is incredibly grateful to the students at Oswego College for including us in this year’s event and for their ongoing financial support of our organization. To learn more about how you can support PAWS of CNY, please visit our Support page.