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Dance for Puerto Rico! Fundraiser to Take Place at Sunnyside Community Services

Nov. 9, 2017 By Nathaly Pesantez

A fundraiser dedicated to Puerto Rico relief efforts will take place in Sunnyside, where participants can dance through the entire day while raising funds to send to Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from Hurricane Maria’s passing in September.

The event, called Dance for Puerto Rico!, will take place on Dec. 3 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Sunnyside Community Services on 43-31 39th St.

“Join us to support our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico who endured the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Maria…and are struggling to survive while much of the island goes without adequate drinking water, food and electricity,” reads part of the event’s description.

Bands and individual artists will perform live salsa, merengue, and bachata, while several DJ’s will play hits from the Billboard Top 40 list.

The event will also include a cash bar, a raffle, and a cash photo booth. Food and dessert come with the entry ticket, priced at $30 and for people 21 and over only.

Proceeds will go to the non-profit Hispanic Federation and the grassroots organization Tainas Unidas, which has been distributing water, food and supplies to communities on the island.

The event is organized by David Espinoza, an associate director at Sunnyside Community Services. Espinoza, a Puerto Rican-American, said the effort is personal for him. “Puerto Ricans are fellow Americans,” he said. “When one American is affected in a humanitarian crisis, its incumbent upon us all to take action, no matter what our backgrounds are.”

Tickets for the event can be purchased online, and can also be bought at the door in cash. Reservations for groups of four to 10 people can be made by calling in advance. The lineup of performers can also be viewed on the ticket page online.

Espinoza hopes to raise between $7,000 to $8,000 to send to Puerto Rico, and hopes that others are inspired to “pack the house for Puerto Rico”.

The island, with a population of over 3 million, was devastated after Hurricane Maria tore through on Sept. 20. Recovery efforts have been steady but difficult—a month after Hurricane Maria made landfall, it was announced that 80 percent of the island still lacked power.

Richard Rossello, governor or Puerto Rico, said he wanted power to be restored to 95 percent of the island by mid December. On Nov. 9, however, when roughly half of Puerto Rico had electricity, a failed power line brought the island down to 18 percent capacity.

Dance for Puerto Rico! Fundraiser flyer

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14 Comments

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Al from sunnyside

El lowlife is back. Some things don’t change. He’s back but his comments are still useless. Just like him

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Anonymous

the only reason JVB and his wife are doing this is because they bought a condo before it happen – look it up

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Neither republican or demorcratic

Geez.. the country is so inept and corrupt. I bet only 5 cents to the dollar will ever see the people that really need it…

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Capezio dance shoes

El Loco, No wonder Lily fired you back in the day. You did a crappy job working in the kitchen at her place in the 80’s. When she sponsored your trip to Asia you came back a beaten man and disgraced the Metropolitan Houses Dojo. One day Grape Soda Barbara will throw you out of Neil’s building on 39 Place. Your just a taker living off Barbara’s social security benifits. I heard Neil has you scrubbing the sidewalk outside.

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mando

i wish some of the proceeds would also go to help the people and families that are arriving to NYC from PR. I think the majority of people coming from PR should be placed in Staten Island. The mayor needs to do the right thing and help these people by opening up more shelters and affordable housing in Staten island.

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Not a Rep or Dem

Lol… you would think they would have voted for their independence by now… waving their flags all time… big difference between the philipines and PR after the Spaniards…

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el loco

Not from my pocket. Why should I help p.r. ??? I don’t remember p.r. Doing anything but living off the USA no no no I won’t help.

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A.Bundy

LoLz, very cruel, and pretty much expected by the Me, Me, Me and only Me culture. NYC always brings out the best in people.

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South

I’m unsurprised by your comment, because – well – it’s your comment.

Puerto Ricans are American. I think it’s important to recognize that when a part of our country is in need, we should be supportive.

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Rebecca

They do not have to be American to deserve our support. American Lives are not the only ones that Matter.

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Capezio dance shoes

Back in the day Lily and I were pretty good Mirange dancers. In 1976 we took a few lessons at Arthur Murray school of dancing. We then competed in the advanced amateur class at the local regionals Mirange championship which was held at the Elks club up on Queens Blvd (or “QB” as Lily would refer to it. After the class we would walk up to the bar at the Pan American Hotel and throw back some 7 and 7’s. If I was a little younger i would find and put on my old Capezio dance shoes and go to this event and show my support by doing the Mirange

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