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I cannot explain to you the affection I feel for the ALS FancyDance.  For those of you new to my family’s story, the FancyDance was born when we decided to raise money for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and were tired of sad disease-related fundraisers. My husband was fighting ALS at the time and we were so weary from the battle and quite desperate for something that felt happy and fun and yet meaningful and true. From those wishes, came this event.  If you want to re-live or catch up on the past two years of this event, you can read my blog posts here and here.  If you want to read about one of the most amazing moments in my life which occurred at the first Fancy Dance – you can read that here.  If you just want to know the deets on this year’s event, read on!

 

 

 

 

2016 ALS Fancy Dance FAQ’s:

 

  1. Is the FancyDance actually fancy?   YesBecause it is.  Because we want it to be.  Because how often do you get to dress up and dosey-doe with your best gal without having to sit through fourteen toasts by the wedding party?  HOW fancy, you ask?  That’s entirely up to you.  Some people go full-on red carpet ready and some wear their ‘good jeans”.  Again I say: up to you. We won’t boss (except for naming it the Fancy Dance which, yes, is inherently bossy.)
  2. MUST I bring a date?  From the beginning, we (meaning me, and my kids have gone along because they know what’s good for them) have encouraged people to bring dates because I worry men and women are losing their dating mojo. However, coming without a date or with a group of friends is entirely appropriate and exactly what I’m planning to do since my date is dancing in another location now.
  3. Are you going to ask for money all night long?  No. But sort of.  We will ask for money, but not often and it won’t take long.  I usually speak for about 10 minutes and it’s sometimes a little sad, yes, because we need to remember how treacherous the ALS fight really is. (This year, we’ll have a convenient text-to-donate option as well.)
  4. Where does the money go?  To the ALS Association, the team that saved our sanity during our five-year battle with ALS.  They continue to serve countless families in our region.
  5. What about food? Tell me about the food!  Food trucks (Jacked Up Waffles and Cur-b-Que are in the lineup now) and the fabulous Bend Beerstream (serving beer and wine) will be on site, keeping the good vibes flowing and enabling you to keep your Macarena moves strong.  These vendors are fantastic and each of them donates back to the cause so you can feel good about any cash you spend at the dance.  The inimitable band, Precious Byrd, will be filling the night air with Superphonic Magical tunes as well. Gah!  I already cannot wait!
  6. Where, where, where do I park? The venue is magically beautiful, but it does not have parking.  Therefore, we use a shuttle (this year it’s Bend Trolley) to transport people from the Lowes parking lot to the dance, less than a minute away.  The dance runs from 7-10, the shuttle starts rolling at 6:40 and goes throughout the evening.  This is not always entirely convenient and sometimes involves waiting for a ride, so we ask that you just factor it into the fun of the night and enjoy your fellow trolley friends.  There is also limited parking at Deschutes Memorial Cemetery which is adjacent to the party venue (ironic sentence if ever there was one.)
  7. How much does the FancyDance cost? The event is free to attend, but not free for us to host.  We suggest a $15 cover charge, and will have a donations jar on site if you’d like to help us with the cost of trolleys and bands and sparklers and such, but it is totally optional.
  8. Can I bring my kids?  Yes! PLEASE bring your fancy little darlings so I can dance with them! However, take note that the venue is located very close to the very busy Hwy. 97 and there is also swimming hole on site.  In the midst of all the fancy and dancing, it’s imperative that you know where your kids are at all times.
  9. Will there be a sparkler dance?  Um, is Bend the best city on the planet? Is coffee essential for life? Is this the worst election ever?  Yes.  The answer to this question will always be yes.

 

And now, to prepare your dancey feet for the August 26 and all the wonder it shall be, I give you Superphonic Magical by the best band I know.

 

 

And hey – if you have a question I didn’t answer, feel free to put it in the comments and of our FancyDance experts will answer it ASAP!

 

 

 

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