Zumbathon to Benefit the American Heart Association!

   On Saturday, May 5, from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM the Ed & Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute at Southampton Hospital will be hosting a Zumbathon to benefit the American Heart Association! Come on down to 230 Elm Street, in Southampton, New York to participate in this fun-for-all event!

   If you haven't heard about Zumba yet, it's time you found out what exactly the program is! Zumba is a specialized fitness program that focuses on dancing and having fun to get exercise. If you can't dance, don't worry! Zumba isn't meant to be a "dancing" program. It is designed to help participants get exercise while having fun at the same time! No experience is necessary!

   For the past two weeks, my gym class has been participating in Zumba classes! While it is very intimidating at first, it is a great alternative for staying healthy and being active! I encourage everyone to come out to the Zumbathon for a great time, and a great cause! If you would like more information, click on the link below:

Party in Red Zumbathon to Benefit the American Heart Association

XOXO,

Sarah

Update: Carnegie Hall Performance Day 2!

   Hi all! I can't believe my performance at Carnegie Hall with Camp Broadway and the New York Pops is TOMORROW! I've had such an amazing time so far! Today, all of the performers and I were treated to a dance class with Shannon Lewis, a performer in the current production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (which means she knows Nick Jonas too!) Here's a picture of her and me:

   Even though tomorrow is my last day with all of my new friends, I am excited to be performing onstage tomorrow! Wish me luck!

XOXO,

Sarah

Update: Carnegie Hall Performance

   Hello everyone! A few months ago I auditioned, along with 500 other kids, to perform at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops as a part of a special program offered by Camp Broadway! I was lucky enough to be chosen to be one of the fifty-eight kids to be performing not only with the New York Pops, but also famous Broadway performers such as Brian d'Arcy James and Norm Lewis!
   Today was the first day of rehearsals! We learned the song and the choreography that we will be performing, and we got the cutest outfits to wear for our performance! There's only two more days until the actual show, and I plan to keep you all updated until then!

Also be sure to like Camp Broadway on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter! I will post the links below!
Have a great weekend!

XOXO,
Sarah

Camp Broadway Facebook page
Camp Broadway Twitter account

My Trip to Spain

   Over Spring Break, I traveled to Spain with my Spanish class for an exchange program! I was given the chance to immerse myself into the history and culture of Spain, while staying with a host family. I was able to attend my host partner, Maria's, music school for a week (can you believe that she goes to a school that used to be a royal palace?) in El Escorial. I  was so excited to be practicing my Spanish-speaking skills while making so many new friends along the way! Here are some pictures from my trip:

My tour group and I at the stadium where the Barcelona futbol (soccer) team plays! The team's motto is "Mes Que un Club" which means, "More than a Club"!

We visited so many parks and outdoor museums! I couldn't resist taking a picture in front of this beautiful fountain!

Hey guys! I'm standing in front of the Mediterranean Sea! Cool, huh?

In Madrid, which happens to be an hour away from El Escorial, we visited the Plaza Mayor. This huge plaza is home to many shops and cafes. We even bought some DELISH gelato in the plaza!

While in Madrid, we also visited the Palacio Real, also known as the Royal Palace in English. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the palace, but I was able to take a picture in front of it! It was so huge that we couldn't fit all of it in the picture!

During our first day with our host families, all of the students involved in the exchange attended a picnic. We climbed to the top of a tall mountain and were able to see an incredible view of El Escorial! Maria, whose family graciously let me stay in their house for a week, took a picture with me! She was beyond sweet and helpful during the week, and her family was too!

One of the last pictures I took from my trip was one of my new friends and I! All of these girls are involved in the Spain exchange (meaning they get to stay with us New Yorkers for a week in September)! Eva is on the far right, followed by Carolina, Maria, and then me! I will miss these girls SO much!

   A big thank you goes out to my Spanish teacher, Sr. Riley, and Lola Perez for planning this trip and making sure everything ran smoothly! Also a huge thanks to Maria and her family for letting me stay with them for a week. As they say in Spain, Maria, "Hasta Septiembre!" which means, "See you in September!"

XOXO,

Sarah

Pageants, Pageants, Pageants! Oh My!

   Hi everyone! On March 25, I drove to Staten Island to watch the crowning of six new local queens who will be competing for the job of Miss New York this June. Although there were no Outstanding Teen titleholders at the pageants, I was thrilled to be making more friends. All of the girls who competed looked like a million bucks onstage! And guess what! I met Claire Buffie, Miss New York 2010! And it gets better! I was able to speak with Kaitlin Monte, the current Miss New York! I had spoken with Kaitlin one other time at the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant this past August, but I never dreamed that she would remember me! She's like a celebrity and a huge role model to me (if you couldn't tell, I was a little excited that she remembered me!). All in all, it was a fabulous day! Congratulations to all of the new title holders! I can't wait to see you all compete for Miss New York in June!

With some friends at the show!

With Claire Buffie, Miss New York 2010.

With Kaitlin Monte, Miss New York 2011!

XOXO,

Sarah

Safe Routes to Schools Fly-In

   On Tuesday, March 6, I was honored to be given the chance to fly down to Washington, D.C. to meet with some of New York's representatives for the American Heart Association. I was able to speak with, Senator Schumer's staff, Heather Loneck (Legislative Correspondent of Senator Gillibrand), Andrew Brady (Senior Legislative Assistant to Congressman Hanna), and Congressman Bishop himself! And the best part was hearing how most of New York's representatives were in favor of funding for Safe Routes to Schools! Here are some pictures that I took throughout the day:

At the American Heart Association headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Handing Congressman Bishop (who just so happens to live in my hometown!) a folder of information on Safe Routes to Schools!

Standing with the famous American Heart Association Red Dress, which shows that heart disease is the number one killer of women.

   I would like to thank everyone at the American Heart Association for allowing me to be the only Youth Advocate at the Safe Routes to Schools Fly In. A special thanks also goes out to Kristy Anderson at the American Heart Association for keeping things running smoothly!

XOXO,

Sarah