Gotta Dance’s Giving from the Heart event set for Dec. 6

Published 2:38 pm Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Gotta Dance in Redmond will open its door to the community on Dec. 6.

But rather than having people come together to dance, the studio will be welcoming people inside for community service projects to give back to those less fortunate.

This will be the 15th year for the Giving from the Heart event, which was started by Gayle Leyde in her garage.

The Sammamish resident — who is also the manager at Gotta Dance — got the idea after volunteering in one of her daughters’ classes at Margaret Mead Elementary School as an art-start mom. She said when the kids discussed the holidays in terms of what they meant to them, many kids discussed what gifts they hoped to receive and other thoughts along those lines.

Sometimes, Leyde said, when kids are raised in more affluent communities, they don’t always think about others who may not have as much as them.

Leyde said she started Giving from the Heart for her four daughters to teach them the importance of giving and supporting those less fortunate.

“Truthfully, that’s what the holidays should be about,” she said.

Although it began as a small service project in Leyde’s garage, Giving from the Heart has grown over the last decade and a half and is now its own nonprofit organization and all four of Leyde’s daughters sit on its board.

Through the organization’s annual holiday event, Leyde said they have worked to collect 200-300 boxes of donated items each year. These items range from toys to clothes to gift cards.

“It’s huge,” she said. “It’s overwhelming that it started in our garage. It’s amazing.”

Leyde said they always donate to Hope Place, a shelter in Seattle associated with the Seattle Union Gospel Mission. The shelter also offers a 12-18-month rehabilitation/treatment program with services including occupational therapy, family and parental counseling and life-skills training. Leyde said she chose Hope Place and has always chosen them because she knows they will use every part of the donations they receive.

In addition, she said they usually choose another cause to donate to. This year’s cause is supporting those in central Washington who were affected by the wildfires during the summer.

“We try pick something unique each year,” Leyde said.

At the Giving from the Heart events, she said they usually start out by sorting donations into categories such as clothes, toys, blankets and more. Things are then boxed accordingly. Attendees also work to put together stockings for Hope Place. Stocking items include school supplies, toys, flashlights, small first-aid kits and more. Kids from the Gotta Dance community and beyond usually put together these stockings and Leyde said it gets them thinking about what the recipients would be excited to receive.

Attendees also make fleece blankets and scarves for the homeless, which are distributed to the various Tent Cities in the area.

Leyde also takes the time each year to give a talk.

“I help them understand there is a huge community in need,” she said, adding that her favorite part of these events is when kids have the revelation that there are those in the community who are not as fortunate as them and then realize how good it can feel to give back.

Those attending the Giving from the Heart event, which is open to the entire community, can also give monetary donations to benefit each of these causes as well as the organization’s Hayley Jenson Scholarship. The latter provides dance scholarships for students who might not be able to afford lessons otherwise. Leyde said the scholarship was named in honor of one of her daughters’ friends who was a dance teacher and died at 18. She added that the organization also holds dance events throughout the year to raise money for the scholarship fund.

Gotta Dance is located at 17945 N.E. 65th St., Suite 100 in Redmond.