Passers bye took note of grotesque zombies in odd costumes who lined State Street on Oct. 26.
Right when you think you’re in a horror movie, they start to dance to none other than Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
About 250 funky zombies rose from the Courthouse Sunken Gardens, and synchronized with zombies all over the world dancing for various charities as part of the Thrill the World movement.
In Santa Barbara, zombies danced to raise money for World Dance for Humanity and local Boys and Girls Clubs.
In addition to the Court- house performance, zombified flash-mobs took place around town.
World Dance for Humanity began in 2011 with the simple goal of “low-cost exercise class that would bring together the best of world dance and mu- sic to get us in shape and in-
spired,” according to their website, worlddanceforhumanity.org.
After rapid expansion, the organization donated $50,000 to grass roots projects in various African countries in 2012.
Now, they are solely focused on Rwanda, providing “donations of goats and cows, education stipends and assistance in the development of small businesses,” while still spreading a love of dance and inter- national music.
This Thrill the World fundraiserbenefittedWorldDance for Humanity’s Rwanda Education Fund, which aids in providing the money necessary for education in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide.
All the money raised went directly to this charity and our Boys and Girls Clubs—not a dollar to overhead.
Beyond the Sunken Gardens performance, various flash mobs around town also have
raised money, at locations like the downtown Apple Store, the De la Vina Trader Joe’s and even Michael Jackson’s own Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos.
Zombies of all ages participated in this fundraiser—including Latin teacher Ms. Rose Steeber.
She decided to join this year “because I saw them dancing in the courtyard last year and I thought it would be a lot of fun and I thought that it was a worthy cause.”
The commitment was flexible because there were “about three to four practices a week all across Santa Barbara and you could pick and choose which one you want to go to and when you want to go,” said Ms. Steeber.
So keep your eyes peeled next year around Halloween for zombies walking down- town. It’s mostly likely for charity.