Zumba-Aid

Michele Ayoub started Zumba for a Cause to combine her two passions: Zumba's fitness, and helping others. 

Since January, Ayoub has been leading a Zumba class at every Tuesday evening. A different local charity is the designated beneficiary of goods donated or the proceeds collected from the ten dollar per person class fee.

Bags of groceries have been collected for the . Toiletries were donated to the Norwalk Emergency Shelter. Baby items will be collected for The Malta House. Checks are written to organizations conducting breast cancer research. 

Ayoub, a New Canaan resident for the past 16 years, said she has connected with many local charities and invites the community to suggest causes for her classes to support.

She got hooked on the high energy dance fitness program choreographed to Latin music last summer, after her very first Zumba class with instructor Eddie Calle.

"I have always loved to dance," Ayoub told About Town, "so it was a natural fit for me. Most importantly Zumba makes me smile."

The logo for Zumba is "Ditch the workout, Join the Party." Ayoub's Zumba for a Cause slogan is "Feel Good- Do Good."

Calle, who Ayoub said is "a fabulous instructor," attracted so many people to his class in New Canaan that he outgrew the space at the New Balance store and moved his classes to Stamford. 

"Many of us Zumba addicts were very sad that there wasn't Zumba at New Balance anymore because we had become like a little family," Ayoub said.

She continued to take classes with Calle and he coached her until she became a certified Zumba instructor last October.

"She's been one of my die-hard students," said Calle, who teaches Zumba full time. "The passion she has for it explodes when she is on the dance floor." 

Ayoub has worked in the wealth management business for 21years and is a Senior-Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor in the Private Banking & Investment Group at Merrill Lynch.

After becoming a certified instructor, it seemed a natural fit to hold her Zumba for a Cause classes at the New Balance store where owner Ron Rosenfeld and his team regularly sponsor and support that give back to the community. 

Ayoub's two children, ages seven and 10, are learning about giving and philanthropy. Her kids have helped deliver supplies to the Norwalk Emergency Shelter and last October they sold outside the New Balance store to raise money for breast cancer research. 

"Why do I do this for free?" she asked. "It's the psychic income I receive."

She said too often people say they are too busy to work out or do charity work so
Zumba for a Cause enables people to do both.

"How wonderful would it be if we could donate 15 bags of groceries to the food pantry every month?" she said. "And Zumba can burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour!" 

Calle, her mentor is inspired by her dancing and her heart. 

"To think of someone doing all this for someone else is amazing." he said.