Young Dancers Give Hope
Bonnie Walker (far right), owner and artistic director of Next Step School of Dance in New Jersey, says she teaches young dancers on her Praise Team that “we need to reach out to the causes that need our assistance.”
Each month, the Praise Team brings their ideas to class and, through discussion and prayer, decides on an organization to receive the team donation. In spring 2016, Nicolette Zika (center), then age 13, spoke about her great-grandfather, Alberto Lazaro Sr., and how his death from Alzheimer’s had affected her family.
She shared information about Alzheimer’s Disease Research (ADR), a program of BrightFocus Foundation, to which her mother, Dina Marie Zika, had donated since 2007. In honor of Nicolette’s great-grandfather, the young dancers selected ADR for their donation.
As Bonnie noted, “We have been able to let a family that has lost a loved one to this disease know how much we care about them.”
The team’s support for Alzheimer’s research also represented hope. Nicolette and Dina wrote, “We truly hope that someday, we will find a cure—not only for individuals, but also for their families.”
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