WITHIN 30 MINUTES of the doors opening for the fifth annual dinner dance for adults with disabilities at St. Columban parish in Garden Grove, the dance floor was full and excitement filled the air.
And the energy never wavered until the last song played three hours later.
GUESTS STOP BY THE PHOTO BOOTH FOR PICTURES DURING THE DINNER DANCE HELD AT ST. COLUMBAN PARISH. PHOTOS BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Elizabeth Etebar and her friend Eva were among the early arrivals, dancing to Donna Summer’s disco standard “Hot Stuff.”
When asked if they planned to dance all night, Etebar yelled, “Yeah!”
“Yeah,” echoed Eva, strutting off into the center of the dance floor.
Hilda Mendez, vice president of the St. Columban Women’s Council, helped organize the event five years ago.
“I have a disabled grandson,” she said. “I thought the dance would be nice. This community doesn’t have much, and this is a safe place for them to let their hair down.”
And did they ever.
GUESTS OF THE APRIL 17 DANCE TO “YMCA” TOGETHER.
“The kids will sleep tomorrow,” Kathy Collens, president of the Women’s Council, said with a laugh as she watched the full-tilt action.
The theme for the dance, which changes annually, was “April Fools’ Day,” according to organizers, and next year it will feature a prom motif. In addition to the DJ, the guests were treated to a photo booth, goody bags at the event’s close and a sit-down taco dinner.
About 200 guests and volunteers were on hand at Murphy Hall for the event. Soon after the music started, informal dance circles were forming around featured dancers. At one of the impromptu ciphers, Andrew Essien, his shirt dripping with sweat, exhorted fellow dancers to join in. Later in the evening, Markus Morales, who spent much of the evening doing his version of “popping and locking” in front of the stage, finally succeeded in heading up a conga line that wove through the dancers.
MEMBERS OF THE WOMAN’S COUNCIL OF ST. COLUMBAN PARISH GATHER FOR A PHOTO DURING THEIR ANNUAL DINNER DANCE FOR ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES.
Morales is Mendez’s grandson and part of the inspiration for the event. He has been a regular every year and looks forward to it. Mendez says throughout the year it is not uncommon for parishioners and eventgoers to tap her on the shoulder either to ask when the dance will be or remind her not to forget.
Jonas Coggins, 54, attends the dance every year. He said cards with the date of the next event are handed out at the end of the evening and immediately go up on his refrigerator. He also said he makes sure his mother adds it to his computer calendar. Although Coggins was using a combination wheelchair and walker due to a recent surgery, he planned to hit the floor.
“I’m just waiting for the songs I like,” he said, citing favorites such as “The Hustle,” “Electric Slide” and “Macarena.”
Liam Ferris manned the “Foto Fun Fest” booth where a consistent flow of guests posed for the camera. Kathy Lincoln stepped in front of the camera while her attendant Yesenia Menjivar draped her in a pink feather boa and oversized sunglasses.
When the prints came out, Lincoln broke out into a huge smile.
Sr. Pauline Nguyen, who leads the parish’s youth Confirmation program, which provided volunteers, attended the event for the first time. A member of the Lovers of the Holy Cross, Sr. Pauline said it was a great chance for the youth to interact with the community.
“I think it’s a lovely community,” she said. “We can meet these brothers and sisters who we don’t usually get to meet.”
Many of the volunteers, she said, “feel a whole new world open up. They see that God can be with everyone and everyone can have that joy.”