It’s been shown that dancing is good for your health: it burns calories, strengthens and tones your body, improves your balance and posture, and makes you feel good in a way no other exercise can.
At the second annual Bollywood Night fundraiser on Saturday, March 7th, guests will be dancing the night away while raising funds for cardiac care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).
Organizers of Bollywood Night #2 held an official media conference on February 13th in the showroom of Mercedes-Benz Peterborough, the platinum sponsor for the event.
The luxury car dealership was also the platinum sponsor for last year’s fundraiser, which raised more than $20,000 for the Canadian Mental Health Association.
“It’s a great event,” says Michael Santos, General Manager of Mercedes-Benz Peterborough. “We get involved to give back to the community. The group who organizes this event is great to work with.”
One of the event’s many organizers is Dr. Bharat Maini, a staff anaesthesiologist at PRHC. He hopes this year’s event will be even more successful, raising much-needed funds for cardiac care at the hospital.
“Proceeds from our event are specifically going to support a critical technology upgrade that needs to be performed on PRHC’s two Cardiac Catheterization suites this spring,” he explains. “This upgrade is going to help make patient care even better and safer for our patients. Our committee and community are very excited to be a part of this tremendous project.”
PRHC’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab is the only centre in our region to provide both diagnostic angiograms and life-saving cardiac stenting. Last year, 2,240 angiograms and 959 stenting procedures (223 emergency procedures) were performed. Despite these volumes, the Lab consistently has among the lowest wait times in the province.
As busy as they are, PRHC’s two cardiac catheterization suites have been in nearly constant use since the hospital opened in 2008. Powered by a great deal of extremely high-tech infrastructure, they now require a significant technology upgrade in order to remain state-of-the art, and avoid future service delays and cancellations as the equipment ultimately reaches its technological lifespan.
Renewing the Suites’ technology and infrastructure will also have an impact on patient care right away. In the years since the suites were outfitted, technological innovations have revolutionized the industry. The upgrade will provide significant improvements to resolution and image quality, allowing cardiologists to better view arteries and potential blockages during a procedure.
In addition, recent advances have allowed for a drastic reduction in radiation exposure for the patient, something that all medical professionals agree is a huge leap forward in diagnostic imaging practices.
While Bollywood Night #2 is supporting a serious cause, it’s going to be a fun and informal event. The night begins with cocktails, followed by a dinner featuring authentic North Indian cuisine (such as tandoori), and then a demonstration of and instruction in Bollywood-style dancing.
Rodney, along with his twin brother Sidney, has been dancing for 26 years. Known as the “Bollywood Bouncers”, the enthusiasm and passion that Rodney and Sidney share for dancing is infectious.
“We teach the guests to dance,” Rodney says. “If they’re nervous, we help them feel comfortable.”
Rodney and Sidney, along with their wives Gloria and Surbhi (who are accomplished dancers in their own right), will first demonstrate Bollywood dancing for the guests at the March 7th fundraiser. Then they’ll teach the various moves and how they all come together, so guests can dance Bollywood style for the rest of the night.
“If we see you on the dance floor, we will come dance with you,” he says. “If we see your foot tapping, we will so get you up there.”
The Friends and PRHC Foundation wish to thank the event’s sponsors for their tremendous generosity and for making Bollywood Night 2 possible, including Mercedes-Benz Peterborough along with Euphoria Wellness Spa, Peterborough Hospital Pharmacy Remedy’s RX, Subway, Pyle Wealth Management, kawarthaNOW, Westmount Pharmacy, GM Financial, MD Financial and Sherbrooke Heights Pharmacy Remedy’s Rx.
