WE DID IT!!! HURRAY!!!

Just a short note as I am totally asleep on my feet! Yesterday, was completely fantastic and we totally smashed our target! I did a rough calculation last night of our total and although not everyone knows exactly how much sponsorship they've raised our total should work out at about £7150!!!! And that was on erring the conservative side! Huge thanks have to go to the CLH Committee, and everyone that took part, including all the sponsored dancers, the bands, the DJ's, the taxi dancers, Alex and Holly for taking photographs and just everyone who was there. I will post some photos soon, maybe even some video and update our exact total as all the money gradually gets collected. Once again-
THANK YOU!!!!!

Crazy Booth!

We are very pleased that professional photographer Alex Beckett has kindly agreed to run a Crazy Booth at the Hopathon. For the bargain price of £5 get a professional 4x6 photograph of yourself and your dancing friends and all profits go to the CF Trust! We'll provde lots of silly hats and props but bring your gladrags or anything you might like to be photographed with.....

For more info on Alex and to see some of his recent work check out his blog-
www.alexbeckett.co.uk/blog

Raffle

To raise more money this year we are having a raffle of rather fantastic prizes. These include-

-Signed copy of The Jive Aces new CD “Recipe for Rhythm”.
Donated by the band
-“Let's Lindy Hop!” DVD
Donated by London Swing Dance Society
-London Balboa Festival DVD
Donated by Dan Guest
-Exquisite Silk Floral Hair Decoration
Donated by Lizzie Pauling
-Knitted extravaganza
Donated by Gill Bates
Plus assorted Lindor Chocolates, Biscuit selection and Wine!

Tickets are available at regular CLH classes on monday and wednesday and during the actual hopathon. They cost 50p each or £2 for a trip of five-Good Luck!

Bands Bands Bands!

This year we are very lucky to have not one, but three fantastic swing bands to play for us at the Hopathon. They'll each be doing a set in the evening - tickets for which are the bargain price of £10/£8! Sponsored Dancers get in free.... First on at 7pm is-

Better Than TV
Based in Cambridge Better than TV are an extremely versatile band playing everything from swing standards to improvised Jazz. Regulars at CLH's The Speakeasy on a Monday will be familiar with their brass led swingin' sound.

The Rob James Swing Trio
Formed in July 2008, instigated by “Rob James” Cattermole a Cambridge based Jazz Singer and Guitarist. Rob has played guitar for 20 years and has sung over the past 4 years. A keen enthusiast for small combo Swing Jazz music popular in America during the 1940's, Rob decided to form a Trio styled on the famous Nat “King Cole Trio”. Musicians that play within the Trio have typically studied at respected musical institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music and are currently teachers in their instrument as well as regular performers in larger well known swing bands.

The Colin Hazel Trio
Back by popular demand after their smash hit performance at CLX08 we are very pleased to bring you Colin Hazel and his trio for another toe-tapping performance! Colin has always loved playing in the stride piano style of the 30s pianists, such as Teddy Wilson and Fats Waller, but had no outlet for this kind of music until he discovered the Cambridge Lindy Hop scene. Now with like-minded musicians in tow, mixing the sound of the swing era piano trios, jump blues and early soul, he likes nothing more then to play these old-fashioned grooves for todays swing dancers.

Even if you can't make it to the Hopathon during the day with three bands like these the evening will definitely be one not to miss!

Huge Thank You!

We have to say a massive thank you to Katherine Watson and the company she works for Takeda Cambridge who have sponsored us a huge £250! This is a wonderful boost to our fundraising and is extremely generous.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited was Founded in 1781 and located in Osaka, Japan, Takeda is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. Takeda markets a number of blockbuster drugs discovered through its internal research programmes including Actos®, Blopress®, and Prevacid ®. Takeda’s subsidiary in Cambridge, Takeda Cambridge Limited and its subsidiary in Singapore, have established world-class target identification and validation capabilities. Together they have developed a promising pipeline of novel drug discovery targets and compounds in key areas of unmet medical need such as CNS disorders, chronic pain and urology indications, endocrinology and metabolic-related diseases.

Why should you donate?

Reading the paper this morning I came across the tragic story of Jodi and Lucinda Dunmore. Please take the time to read this article in full by following the link to The Daily Telegraph's website-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/3534412/Cystic-fibrosis-sisters-die-within-months-of-each-other.html
Both sisters had CF, both have sadly passed away within months of each other just aged 19 and 22. I cannot even begin to imagine what their parents must be going through, and I am incredibly thankful that my brother has been spared this disease.

Please, please help us to help The CF Trust find a cure for this devestating disease before it cuts more lives so terribly short.

More Info!

So a few more details..... Like last year, sponsored dancing will take place between midday and midnight, with social dancing alongside from 7pm, and there will also be the now legendary Blues After Party so you can keep on dancing into the night! This year tho, we are planning to have LIVE MUSIC from THREE local Jazz bands in the evening as well as some awesome swing DJ's all day-more details to follow...So grab your dancing shoes for a fantastic day (and night!) of dancing!

We are also planning on having a fun beginners class alongside the sponsored dance, so bring your friends and family and they can learn to trip the light fantastic with us! Our hugely successful taxi dancer auction will also be back, only this time you can buy a dancer for 20mins- and for those 20mins you can ask them to anything (as long as its legal!). How about a mini class to learn some tricks and fun moves, or maybe try a new style with an expert or just dance for 20mins with some of the best dancers in the area and maybe from further afield..... And just to raise even more money there will be a raffle!

To take part or for more info contact Ros on 07811 186824 or ros@cambridgelindy.com Sponsored dancers get in free to the whole event, tickets for social dancing from 7pm are £10/£8 members & concessions.

How it actually works...
The only rule for the Lindy Hopathon is that there must be someone on the dance floor (actually dancing) at all times. You can be sponsored to dance for just 1 hour or any number of hours up to the whole twelve for the really hardcore dance fans! You don’t have to dance every dance in your alloted time, as this is meant to be a fun event not an overly exhausting one! If you only want to do three of four hours then you can do a couple at the start and then some more later on. There will be tea and cake to support all the sponsored dancers!

Hopathon 2009

Yes, the Cambridge Lindy Hopathon will be returning for a third year on Feb 7th at the Centre at St Paul's for another mammoth 12 hours of sponsored dancing. We've got lots of extra fun things planned for this year so keep an eye on this website for updates....

We made a huge £6080.54 last year, for which I am so gratefull, but we've got a big target to beat next time.....

Even more wow!!!

We have reached 6000POUNDS!!!! I am so impressed! Sorry it's been a while since I updated the total but I've been enjoying a stay at Hotel Papworth CF Unit and experiencing first hand just how wonderful the CF facilites are that would not be available without the CF Trust. Even tho being in hospital sucks at least I have a private room with freeview and internet, which helps relieve the boredom and having been on large wards, with strangers believe me this is much better! So a very heartfelt THANK YOU from me and all the other people with Cf who benefit from these wonderful facilities.

WOW!!!!

Yesterday was just fantastic! Loads of people, loads of dancing and loads of money raised! Provisional total is-
£5631!
That's £1500 over our target! I am just over the moon and want to say a huge thank you and well done to all the dancers who collected sponsorship, all those who came along in the evening to support us and particulalry to our fab dj's - Paul Claydon, Matt Riddle, Martin Ellis and Mike Amin who did a fantastic job all day. I'd also like to say a huge thank you to the committee of Cambridge Lindy Hoppers who did such a lot of work to make this event happen-you guys totally rock! I will collect some photos off people and try and put them up.

We'll also be on TV later! ITV Anglia West came and filmed us during the day and it will be broadcast on Sunday evening at 17.14 and also hopefully on Monday on he 6pm news bulletin. If you miss it, then the film will be on the ITV Anglia website for the next week or so
http://www.itvlocal.com/anglia/news/?player=ANG_news_26&void=147221

It's tomorrow!

Well, I have spent the day making batch upon batch of assorted cakes, bought loads of paper plates and cups and had the collecting buckets and CF Trust t-shirts delivered.... it's now a straight count down to zero hour! What is fantastic news is that we have already raised half our total! In fact, we have raised just over £2500 online alone-which is just wonderful. So fingers crossed we will smash our target... Looking forward to seeing loads of people tomorrow and having a ridiculous amount of fun!

Less than a week to go!

So the Lindy Hopathon is on Saturday!!! And I am pleased to say we are doing really well with sponsorship, with £1500 raised online alone!!! So keep pressing everyone you know to sponsor you....

Our domination of the airwaves will also continue, with another rasio interview later this week, this time on Q103. I'll let you know exaclty when it will be broadcast.

Living with CF

If you want more information on how having CF affects your life then watch 'A Boy Called Alex' on Channel 4 on Thursday 24th Jan at 9pm. This is part of the excellent Cutting Edge series-

Alex Stobbs is a 17-year-old musical prodigy who has been playing the piano since he was three. His dream is to conduct Bach's great choral piece, The Magnificat, before an audience of 500 in the stunning 15th-century chapel of his school, Eton. This is an ambitious task for any teenager. But for Alex, the stakes are much higher. Alex has cystic fibrosis. He has a particularly virulent form of the disease. With each year that passes, his lungs are slowly giving up on him. Last year Alex had a close shave with death when a lung suddenly collapsed. A Boy Called Alex chronicles the 12 weeks in which Alex attempts to achieve his incredible goal.

3 weeks to go

The Hopathon is rapidly approaching and so far we've raised £530 online alone, so hopefully we are on the right track to meet our target! We are also going to have a prize for the person who raises most money, so get collecting!

We're going to have a new feature at the Hopathon this year, a Taxi Dancer Auction! This will be a chance for you to buy your favorite dancer from a selection of marvelous people including members of the CLH Committee and troupe, and they'll be all yours to do with as you will! Please keep it legal! We tried this idea out at our last social dance and raised £205.67!

We now have 27 sponsored dancers-
Mike Amin, Rosie Amos, Maria Andersson, Gemma Barson, Gillian Bates, Gerald Bianchi, Paul and Fae Claydon, Neil Delaney, Martin Ellis, Ros Evans, Sam Flint, Lotte Geldof, David Laban, Toni Laurila, Helen Litchfield, Asif Malik, Claire Newham, Matt Nunn, Phillipa Patterson, Matthew Riddle, Will and Tara Sheldrake, Mirjana Skrba, John Theron, Franck Valentine, Caroline Williams.
As well as people coming to social dance from all over East Anglia.

Wonderful people!

So far we have the follow fantastic people signed up as sponsored dancers-

Rosie Amos, Maria Andersson, Gemma Barson, Gillian Bates, Gerald Bianchi, Paul and Fae Claydon, Neil Delaney, Martin Ellis, Ros Evans, Sam Flint, Lotte Geldof, Toni Laurila, Tanja Manners, Asif Malik, Claire Newham, Matthew Riddle, Will and Tara Sheldrake, Mirjana Skrba, Franck Valentin and Caroline Williams. They've all earned my undying gratitude!

We also have three fantastic DJ's, Matthew Riddle, 'Pinball' Paul Claydon and Martin Ellis. If you are interested in DJing for an hour or two let me know as we've got lots of time to cover.

Presenting.....

The Cambridge Lindy Hopathon!

In aid of The CF Trust

Saturday 2nd February 2008

At The Centre at St Paul's, Hills Road, Cambridge

12 hours sponsored dancing from midday to midnight!To take part and receive a sponsorship form please email me ros@cambridgelindy.com
You can sponsor us on our just giving page-
www.justgiving.com/lindyhopathon2008
Keep watching this Blog for regular updates.

If you want to come along and support the sponsored dancers and have a dance there will
be Social Dancing from 7.30pm

How it works...
The only rule for the Lindy Hopathon is that there must be someone on the dance floor (actually dancing) at all times. You can be sponsored to dance for just 1 hour or any number of hours up to the whole twelve for the really hardcore dance fans! You don’t have to dance every dance in your alloted time, as this is meant to be a fun event not an overly exhausting one! If you only want to do three of four hours then you can do a couple at the start and then some more later on. There will be tea and cake to support all the sponsored dancers!

What is CF?

-Cystic Fibrosis is the UK's most common life-threatening, inherited disease and affects more than 7500 babies, children and young adults. Symptoms can include poor weight gain, troublesome coughs, repeated chest infections, salty sweat and digestive problems.-Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects a number of organs in the body (especially the lungs and pancreas) by clogging them with thick, sticky mucus.
- In the UK, 2.3 million people carry the faulty CF gene - 1 in 25 of the population.
- If both parents are carriers of the faulty gene, there is a 1 in 4 chance with every pregnancy
-At present there is no cure for CF, but the faulty gene has been identified and doctors and scientists are working to find ways of repairing or replacing it. One of the main objectives of the CF Trust is to fund this work.-People with CF are living longer than ever before. Until the 1930s, the life expectancy of a baby with CF was only a few months. Today the average life expectancy for someone with CF is around 31 years.

Why take part or donate to the CF Trust?
- By taking part you can help raise money to fund research into new treatments and a hopefully a cure. Next year new trials will begin into a new gene therapy which, if successful, could change the lives of hundreds of people with CF
- Each week five babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis. Of the people with CF, 50% are under 15 and 70% are under 20
- Each week three young lives are lost to Cystic Fibrosis.
- The Trust funds research aimed at understanding, treating and curing Cystic Fibrosis.
- They also aim to ensure that people with CF receive the best possible care and support in all aspects of their lives.
- The Cystic Fibrosis Trust needs to raise £8 million every year to fund its vital work.

Hopathon 2008

Yes it's time to start thinking about the next Cambridge Lindy Hopathon, having raised just over £4000 last time we've got a big target to aim for, so we thought we'd try for 12 hours non stop dancing! The prospective date is the 2nd of Feb in Cambridge somewhere! Will post again when have a confirmed venue and hopefully some bands!

Some Photos and News!

If my calculations are correct we have now raised more than £4000!!!! However I am not anouncing the final total til its confirmed by the CF Trust :-) Am so pleased.

Also here are some of the photos I took on the night, most of them not particulalry good but some are at least in focus!

Fab Photos

Fabulous photos of last night were taken by the wonderful Graham Stratton. See them here-
http://photography.grahamstratton.org/lindyhopathon/

WE DID IT!!!

Eight hours of dancing, vast amounts of chocolate brownies and more than 50 fabulous dancers= a fantastic day of dancing! Even better we smashed our target of £2500 and so far our total stands at-

£3602.82!!!

and there's still some more money to come in, so we may make it to £4000!!! I am just shattered after a very long day yesterday but I am utterly ecstatic as well. I really can't thank everyone who came along and supported this event enough, and especially all the sponsored dancers who did so well for such a great cause. Special thanks also have to go to the three fabulous dj's Paul Clayden, Matthew Riddle and Martin Ellis, who provided such a fantastic night of swinging sounds. I will post some photos once I have recovered a bit and have found some that are in focus...

So once again, on behalf of The Cystic Fibrosis Trust, and all the people out there with CF including me- THANK YOU and WELL DONE!!!!