Wednesday nights at the Moose Lodge are usually filled with music and country swing dancing, but this Wednesday there will be a little bit more.
Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) is partnering with Palouse Country Swing Night to host “Swing Dance for Hunger” at 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Moscow Moose Lodge.
The event is open to the public, and the $5 entrance fee goes to support Palouse Cares, a local non-profit charity whose goal is to “ensure that children on the Palouse are fed, educated, cared for and supported,” according to the Palouse Cares webpage.
Macy Hagler, CAHNRS president of two years, said CAHNRS puts on a canned food drive every November. Hagler said in the past, CAHNRS has hosted other charity-based swing dance events at WSU, such as “Swing Dance for Cancer.”
Palouse Country Swing Night hosts $5 swing dance nights from 9 p.m. to midnight each Wednesday at the Moose Lodge, so partnering with the organization made sense, Hagler said.
“As long as we’re doing swing dances, it makes sense to keep the crowd together,” she said.
Palouse Country Swing Night co-owner Michael Morris said he and his fellow co-owner Kevin Repp wanted to put on an event to donate to the local community. Morris said keeping it local will make the best impact in Moscow. Hagler said it is important to remember there is a much larger community outside the univerisities.
“You never know who’s hungry,” she said.
Morris said he likes putting on swing nights and getting people out as a nice break from school. Hagler said she looks forward to coming to Moscow every Wednesday for swing night, the main social event her friends go to during the week. She said dancing provides stress relief.
“It’s important for people to remember that we’re human beings and sometimes we need a break,” she said.
Hagler said she encourages people to come even if they don’t know how to swing dance. She said plenty of people are willing to teach every Wednesday, and it’s great to learn and keep the tradition alive.
“Anytime you can pay it forward, I think you should,” Hagler said.
Morris said Palouse Country Swing Night has been hosting swing dance nights at Moose Lodge since October 2016, after CJ’s Nightclub — the previous Moscow swing dancing location — closed. Morris said Repp had been a DJ at CJ’s before it closed down, so he wanted to continue the tradition.
“It’s important to provide a sober social activity for college students and those under 21,” Morris said.
After competition started to die down and Palouse Country Swing Night could get the word out, attendance started to really increase last spring, Morris said. Morris said the majority of attendees are from the University of Idaho, but a significant number are from WSU and some come from Lewiston or Coeur d’Alene.
He said the crowd ranges mostly from college-aged people to those in their late 20s. Usually, 70 to 100 people attend the swing dance nights, but sometimes a larger crowd comes and the last song won’t play until after midnight, Morris said. Hagler said she and others usually think students will be too busy to come, but that business doesn’t seem to be enough to keep them away.
“All of a sudden everyone will just be here,” Morris said.
Jordan Willson can be reached at [email protected]