Community Corner

Melrose Kid Dances for a Cure

Eight-year-old Sam Egan, a Lincoln School student, is participating in his third Fitness for a Cure event on Saturday to raise money for St. Jude Children's Hospital.

(Melrose resident Sam Egan was also chosen as a Huffington Post Greatest Person of the Day.)

Why did 8-year-old Sam Egan join a dance team that raises money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital?

"So we can have fun and there’s money for the kids who need help."

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Kids have a way of spelling out simple truths.

Sam will take the stage again this Saturday, March 24 at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium for the 13th annual Fitness for a Cure, a daytime family event and evening gala where Sam and the 99 other kids (and 15 adults) on the St. Jude Performance Team will perform their most recent dance routines.

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The evening gala is already sold out according to Sam's mother Natalie, but tickets are still available for the family event at 12:30 p.m.—$35 for adults, $15 for children. Also, Sam is more than halfway to his own goal of raising $1,000 this year.

Friends of Sam's family originally joined the team, which raised over $300,000 last year according to Natalie. And Sam liked what he saw.

"Well I saw and went to the show for a few years and then after I went up on stage and danced and then like a few years later, when I was old enough to join the team, I really wanted to," he said.

This will be Sam's third year performing with the team. He said he made lots of friends through joining the team and even brought some new members aboard.

"My cousins watched me and then they joined the team too," Sam said. "They've very cool, cool and close."

For their upcoming performance on Saturday, the team will be dancing to the song "Save a Horse" by Big & Rich; Natalie explained that John Rich of Big & Rich won last year's edition of the reality show "Celebrity Apprentice" and St. Jude was Rich's charity.

"I’m also dancing to LMFAO’s 'Every Day I’m Shufflin," Sam said, referring to the group's inescapable "Party Rock Anthem."

In the midst of having his fun, Sam also put a face to the kids he was helping through his fundraising. One of his fellow Jude Judge Performance Team members is Jordyn, (who can be seen dancing next to Sam in the attached YouTube video). Jordyn received treatment at St. Jude for cancer.

"She’s cancer-free—knock on wood—now," Natalie said, "So she’s on the team and dancing with them."

When he's not dancing with the team, Sam's a student in Mrs. Ingalls' class. What's his favorite subject?

"Gym," he says with a wry smile.

"Nooo ..." his mother replies. "Really?"

"Gym, yeah. And Art. I was going to say that."

Fitness for a Cure takes place on Saturday, March 24 at 12:30 p.m. for the family event. Tickets can be purchased online. You can donate to Sam on his personal fundraising page.


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