This is was in the spectrum on January 5th 2013 written by Brian Passey.
We are so grateful for Brian and this article and ALL of those in this community that support us! We couldn't do it without support from our loved ones and the people of this community. We are so blessed to start 2013 with this article and already the love that we have received! Thank you for believing in us and let's make this year an amazing one!!
Haycock’s cancer is terminal, though she plans to begin chemotherapy treatment this month. She and her family are hoping for a miracle.
She was first diagnosed with cancer six years ago. At first the prognosis was good, but her cancer proved stubborn. More than a year ago the doctors finally told her she was out of options and there wasn’t much more that could be done until hospice care.
“I went to a dark place for quite a few months,” says Haycock, 36, the mother of two daughters, ages 9 and 11. “Then Kalamity came around and sparked my fight again.”
Kalamity is a group that performs hip-hop dance concerts to raise funds for people in need, says group founder Tia Stokes of St. George. They dedicate their time and talent to the recipients of their charity. Since forming five years ago, Kalamity has raised $76,943 for various charities.
Stokes, 26, is a former professional dancer who has performed at NBA games and on the Billboard Music Awards with Beyoncé Knowles. She attended Hurricane High School before her professional career and moved back to Southern Utah about six years ago.
Initially, she started a simple hip-hop dance class for adults but it had some difficulty gaining traction because of the style.
“When you hear hip-hop in St. George everybody just thinks ‘gangster,’” she admits.
A few college girls joined the class but Stokes still wondered what she could do to make hip-hop dance more accepted here.
The word “calamity” kept popping into her head as she considered names for a potential dance group. When one of the dancers fell ill, they decided to hold a fundraiser for her and it all came together. Stokes knew what they were supposed to do: Help people with real-life calamities.
Since then they’ve hosted dance concerts to fight domestic violence and raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, they choose a different person or family each year as the recipient of a major fundraising effort — an effort that includes events like yard sales in addition to the dance performances.
“There’s no limitations with what we can do,” Stokes says. “We have this ongoing joke that we’re kind of superheroes, because people call us when they have problems.”
The first year, Kalamity raised $1,300 for various causes. Five years later, they brought in $33,600 in 2012, including about $15,000 for the Haycock family as the group’s primary 2012 beneficiary.
Megan’s husband, Josh, 37, says the funds have helped them with some of Megan’s daunting medical bills, including one major bill they have been working to pay off for a few years now.
However, Josh says it’s about more than the money for his family. Kalamity has also given their family something priceless: Happiness.
“You can’t put a price on that,” he says.
Megan says Kalamity made her feel like a celebrity. They called her “Mighty Meg” and asked to have their pictures taken with her. They gave her more than money; they gave her friendship and love.
The feeling is mutual for dancer Alexa Brent, 19, of St. George. Brent says she and many of the other dancers developed a personal connection with Megan.
“She let us in her life,” Brent says. “I just really like that I’ve been able to talk to her personally and connect with her.”
Brent has been dancing with Kalamity for three years now. She says it’s not always easy to get up at 3:30 a.m. for early morning practices, but the fact that it’s for a good cause keeps her motivated.
“It’s dancing for service,” she says. “The two best things in the world are dancing and service.”
In addition to the major performance for “Mighty Meg,” Stokes says Kalamity performed six other concerts throughout 2012 for other causes, including a mother with breast cancer and a family who lost a father to cancer. Kalamity is now looking for a cause to support in 2013 and is accepting nominations from the community.
Stokes and her husband, Andy, recently opened The Vault, 75 W. 100 South, St. George, a dance studio with classes for everyone from 4-year-olds to adults. It’s also the home of Kalamity and Kaos, a hip-hop team for kids 12 to 17 that is now in its second year.
“It’s just like a big family,” she says. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to do it. My life has changed dramatically.”
Stokes is director, coach, teacher and choreographer for Kalamity and Kaos. Even as the mother of two children, she continues to dance with Kalamity as well.
“When I decided to stop dancing professionally I decided to use it for something different,” she says. “I’m showing these kids that I care just as much.”
Stokes says she is constantly thinking about their various causes. That means that this past year Megan has been on her mind and inspiring her to be a better mother.
In turn, Megan says Stokes and Kalamity have given her a reason to fight even though her doctors have told her it’s not worth it. The cancer is spreading throughout her lower abdomen and hip, making it difficult to walk.
Yet as she was dealing with doctors telling her she was going to die, Kalamity came into her family’s life and lifted their spirits.
“For us, it was so much more than the money they were trying to raise,” she says. “It was the friendships we made and the love that we felt.”
Stokes says they hope to determine their major cause for 2013 soon. If you have a suggestion of someone in Southern Utah who could benefit from Kalamity’s charity, contact Tia Stokes by emailing tia@thevaultdance.com or by calling 216-8974.
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