Hundreds of Nova Scotians will be getting their groove on for a good cause in January, and the undisputed king of short shorts will be on hand to help them shake, shimmy and sweat their way to a world record in the process.
Local organizers of the Bust a Move for Breast Cancer event revealed Thursday fitness guru Richard Simmons will be making his first public appearance in Nova Scotia on Jan. 30 as part of a six-hour exercise extravaganza in support of breast cancer treatment in the province.
“His energy is just going to fill the whole Metro Centre and raise the level of excitement,” said event chair Marie Mullally.
The event, organized by the QEII and IWK Foundations, will also feature fitness instructors from around the Halifax Regional Municipality, who will lead 1,000 participants and hundreds of volunteers in aerobics classes throughout the day. The fundraiser will rely on pledges collected by the participants over the next three months.
“We’re focusing our fundraising effort on new digital mammography equipment, which is something that will make a huge difference in early detection of cancer,” Mullally said. “There is an enormous need to improve the services that we offer to women in this province.”
According to a release, the sheer number of people involved will hopefully be enough to smash a couple of world records related to mass-fitness events. Details of the record attempts are being kept under wraps for now, said Mullally, but a judge from Guiness World Records is expected to be on hand during the festivities.
Breast cancer survivor Joan Helson attended Thursday’s event launch and said she feels it’s important to organize fundraisers that focus on prevention and remain positive in the face of the deadly disease.
“It adds a light-hearted moment to something that’s typically not a laughing matter,” she said. “You can curl into a little ball, or you can do something. I’ve always been a stand and fight kind of girl.”
