Zumbathon participants support heart health, wellness in annual event
Zumba lovers flooded Carolina Coliseum early Saturday morning in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most people doing Zumba for the second year in a row.
Last year, Palmetto Health broke the record with 1,135 people; this year, however, the organization fell short of its goal of 2,012 participants.
Amanda Ford, a 2011 USC alumna, was disappointed that the goal was not met.
"I did it last year when they set the record, and it was a lot of fun. It wasn't as exciting this year, but it was still fun to do Zumba for free with my friends for a few hours," Ford said.
Palmetto Health holds the annual event in February — American Heart Month — to promote heart health and wellness.
The dancing kicked off at 8:30 a.m. and lasted until 11:30 a.m. Admission to the event was free, and participants either wore or purchased red shirts at the event as a reminder of the heart healthy theme.
Dancers from all experience levels grooved to a wide range of songs from oldies to rap.
For event organizers, the long and tedious process of registering with the official Guinness Book of World Records was well worth the effort, with the possibility of a world record being a big draw for participants.
"How many people can say that they participated in helping to break a world record?" said Lisa Cassese, marketing and communications associate at Palmetto Heath. "We wanted a signature event that got people talking."
Informational booths were set up around the Coliseum to educate people about health issues such as heart disease, portion control and body mass index. Participants could also get their blood pressure checked during the event.
Palmetto Health also requested that participants donate a physical activity item to the Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands.
Every day in February the heart hospital has some sort of event going on to promote heart health. This campaign, 29 Days to Love Your Heart, provides a number of public events, information sessions and heart healthy tips to promote wellness in the community. The annual Zumbathon is part of that campaign. To find more information about upcoming events this month and how to get involved, visit 29heartdays.com.