The Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation (DMKF), an organization established in 2012 to raise awareness with the challenges of diabetes among African Americans, will present a ‘FunFitness Dance Exercise’ event on Saturday, November 6 at 11 am at Camp Widgiwagan located at 3088 Smith Springs Road, Antioch, Tenn. 37013.
The FunFitnessDance Exercise: ‘Shake Your Rump to the Funk,’ themed from the Funk/Soul R&B hit song by the legendary Barkays will be spun by local DJ Victor Chatman. The routine is choreographed by one of the former Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders. Original lead singer of the Barkays, Larry Dodson, will also be in attendance to perform the hit song as the group goes live at 11 am. Participants from the community will take part in the synchronized dance which is designed to bring about solidarity in an effort to promote health and wellness and the importance of daily exercise- one of the major components to helping combat Type II Diabetes. The event will also include free food, free parking, kid’s and adult’s activities and more.
“We are committed to continuing a legacy of giving through the foundation and would like to invite the Nashville community to come out and take part in a fun and worthwhile activity,” said Rhea Kinnard, president/founder of the organization. “Because diabetes disproportionately affects people of color, particularly African Americans, the foundation believes that this is a call to action to help de-escalate the alarming rise of this debilitating disease.”
The foundation is a partner with the American Diabetes Association and works to spread awareness through its African American outreach initiatives. This year’s event sponsors include HCA Healthcare/TriStar Health, Meharry Medical College, The Vein Guys, and Family & Children’s Services among others.
According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 34 million people now have diabetes and nearly 90 million are at risk of developing it. Moreover, diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States and has come with a staggering cost in excess of $350 billion annually and continues to climb as more people develop the disease. Diabetes is now one of the fastest growing diseases among African Americans affecting youth, women and the elderly at disproportionate rates than any other ethnic group.
Since its establishment, the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation has been diligent in promoting education and spreading awareness on diabetes prevention in addition to partnering with a number of organizations throughout the years.
The mission of the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation is to serve as a platform to raise awareness and spotlight problem-solving techniques designed to help African Americans better manage diabetes as well as help decrease the number of African Americans who are at risk of developing the disease.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information regarding the event or DMKF, visit <www.dmkf.org>.
