Name: Ari Besteman
Age: 11
Dance Studio: Miami City Ballet, Florida
Why Ari wants to be a voice for children fighting cancer:
It would be an honor to be chosen as a voice for children fighting cancer. Why? All my life I’ve known my older cousin, Elias. He has Downs Syndrome. He is blessed to not have the usual issues with Downs, like a congenital heart disease, but he sure had to battle cancer. My mom was instrumental in getting him from the Dominican Republic to GR, Michigan for life-saving treatment. I’ve grown up healthy and blessed to be a dancer. I seriously want to give back. I’ve encouraged my mom to help me donate (most recently to Dorian Bahamian victims), but I still want to do more. I dance 5 days a week with a ballet focus. Please help me use my passion to get more involved. I do shows with Miami City Ballet for healthy school kids to make them appreciate the dance art. It does not raise awareness. My heart feels big, but I just need to fuse my heart with my passion to make a difference.
