Over 50 people attended the ELVISize, Salute to the KING event, at the Royal Canadian Legion, Dunsdon Branch #461 on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Joan Minnery and Christine Wallace teamed up earlier this year to debut a new singing and movement program, fittingly called CROONERcize.
The event, which is held once a month, is designed to not only get people excited about exercise and movement, but to simultaneously raise funds for the local legion as well. So far they’ve raised $1,581.50 since January.
“We wanted to do a health and wellness type event in January just to help people kick off the year and get them moving,” said Wallace. “We ended up having such a great turnout and people started asking if Joan would do it again, so we’ve been trying to host it once a month since then.”
“That first one we did was Stayin Alive in ‘25, then in February we did Hearts in Motion, and in March we did Retro Flower Power,” added Minnery. “That one was great because it was all music from the 1960s and everybody came dressed up as hippies and such.”
With this past event being entirely dedicated to the king of rock and roll, many participants came dressed up in Elvis shirts and 1950s styled outfits.
Throughout the evening, Minnery had attendees clapping, swaying and singing along to some of the king’s classic hits including, “Jailhouse Rock,” “All Shook Up,” “Polk Salad Annie” and “Kentucky Rain.”
“Its a workout, but we’re singing and dancing, and I make the moves really easy so that everyone can do it. It’s not hardcore Zumba, it’s not line dancing and it’s not aerobics; it’s just movement with some of those things thrown into it. Usually, we’ll do three songs then we sit down and I do some motivational talking, and that gives them a chance to kind of catch their breath before we head into our next three songs,” said Minnery. “It’s great… they’re getting a head to toe workout and they don’t even realize it because while they think they’re just singing along, they’re actually expending their energy at the same time and so they’re getting a better workout. I’ve had people come up and say things like, ‘I’m not moving as much as I normally would, but I’m sweating so much’ and it’s because they’re singing; that’s the key to the whole thing and that’s why we call it call it CROONERcize.”
Long-time friends, Debbie Cross and Jackie Haigh, said that this was their second and third time attending the event. The two said that they enjoy getting to move their bodies while having some fun at the same time.
“Jackie invited me along to the 60s event and I remember that after we finished up I just felt inspired to keep moving. It’s funny because the following Tuesday, I actually told Jackie that I wished it was on again because it was just so worth it. Being a teacher, I worked outside all day today for track and field, and as tired as I was… I’m happy that I came and I’m feeling refreshed,” said Cross. “The great thing about too is, Joan has told us that you don’t have to follow it step by step, you can kind of just do your own movement, stay in tune with the music and just move to your own beat. That’s nice because nobody’s concerned with doing it the right or the wrong way, we all just giggle and laugh and do our own thing.”
This session also included a 50/50, a small raffle and a door prize for a VIP package and tickets to see Ginger Alden, who was engaged to Elvis at time of his death in 1977, during her upcoming live event in Hamilton on July 12. Minnery will be acting as the master of ceremonies for the event.
For those interested in attending, the next CROONERcize event will be themed all around country music.
“That next one will be on Tuesday, June 24, and as always, entry is just five-dollars per person, so come on out!” said Minnery.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
