Local teen holds dance-a-thon to benefit Project Self-Sufficiency

Culver Lake — A television show sparked an idea in teenager Lyndsay Hoffman’s head: to organize a Dance-A-Thon to benefit a local charity. What better way to get her fellow teens involved in community service, while having fun in the process? Community service is second nature to Lyndsay, an active member of Girl Scout Troop 713. Her parents, Julie and Jerry, helped to inspire her through their own generous support of Project Self-Sufficiency, a Newton-based agency which helps local single parents, teen parents, displaced homemakers and their children to become sufficient. With the idea for a Dance-A-Thon already in her head, it wasn’t long before Lyndsay approached her neighbors in Culver Lake to secure permission to use the lake’s clubhouse as the location. Her friends helped her set up decorations, refreshments and music, while some of the neighborhood adults volunteered to act as chaperones. With all of the pieces in place, the only thing left to do was dance, laugh and enjoy the all-night party from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. A donation to Project Self-Sufficiency, whether in the form of cash, food for the food pantry, books or other essential items, was the only cost of admission for this event. Thanks to Lyndsay’s ingenuity, several boxes worth of canned goods and books, as well as $472 in cash donations, were collected and delivered to Project Self-Sufficiency’s Main Office on Route 206. Executive Director Deborah Berry-Toon says, “We could not have been more surprised or thrilled when Lyndsay arrived with this incredibly generous donation. She is a truly remarkable and compassionate young woman, and Project Self-Sufficiency is proud to have her support.”