Belly dancers benefit Katrina refugees

LAFAYETTE - The Champagne Girls Belly Dancing troupe held the "Motion with a Mission" Charity Benefit on Sept. 11 at the Lafayette Village Hall. The benefit raised $1,000 for the International Rescue Committee and the Red Cross. All funds collected will go to Hurricane Katrina victims. The Champagne Girls raise funds for those in need by dancing at charity events and nursing homes. Sherri Van Houten, founder of the Champagne Girls, is an ordained minister with a masters degree in theology. She is also the author of Belly Dance: Motion on the Ocean of Spirituality. She teaches belly dancing and offers one free class for first time students. For more information, call Van Houten at (201) 247-0897 or visit http://pages.prodigy.net/evanhouten/ChampagneGirls.html.