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The “Dance Out & Music Session For Jane” will be held Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m. inside McLean Avenue’s Kerry Hall. Much of the proceeds from the event will be donated to help the family of Jane Richard, a 7-year-old Irish step dancer who lost a leg in the bombing.
Her brother, 8-year-old Martin, was killed in the attack.
“My heart was crushed when I saw all the fatalities,” Orange County resident and Dance Out organizer Unateresa Gormley said. “I thought, ‘Why don’t we do something down here?’”
The Richard family was standing along Boylston Street, near the finish line of the marathon when the bombs went off. Martin was laid to rest Tuesday in a funeral Mass service in Massachusetts. His mother, Denise, suffered serious brain injuries in the attack while the father, Bill, was hit by shrapnel in his legs.
Around the country, an outpouring of support for the family has come in the form of fundraisers, including a “Dance Out” event in the Boston area. Inspired, Gormley, who had already rented the Kerry Hall space to rehearse for a separate event, decided to put together a "Dance Out" of her own.
What started as a small showcase has ballooned into appearances from Irish dancers, musical performers, including the Irish-American band Girsa, and other entertainers from around the tri-state area. There will also be a raffle, and McLean Avenue restaurant Eileen’s Country Kitchen has donated sandwiches for the event.
“It just exploded into something really big,” Gormley said.
Admission is free, but there is a suggested donation at the door.
Ninety percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Richard Family Fund, to be used for medical expenses, memorial services and other costs. The remaining 10 percent of proceeds will be donated to the Leukemia Foundation.
For more information, contact Gormley at 914-715-9914.
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