Thursday, October 1, 2026
At 14, Sanford H. Calhoun High School sophomore Julianne Turnbull has already found a way to turn one of her greatest passions into something meaningful for others.
Turnbull, a member of Calhoun Colts Varsity Kickline team, organized “Dancin’ for Diane,” a dance clinic fundraiser, held on Saturday, Sept. 19, in the school’s gymnasium in memory of her grandmother, Diane DiPaola, who died from Alzheimer’s disease last year at 69.
The inaugural “Dancin’ for Diane” brought young dancers together for an afternoon of dance while raising money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association, a cause that became especially meaningful to Turnbull’s family after Diane was diagnosed at 63. Along with Turnbull’s fundraising efforts leading up to the event, the clinic raised $16,504 for the organization.
For Turnbull, the event brought together two important parts of her life, dance and the love she had for her grandmother.
“I think the spark of it was because of my grandma,” Turnbull said. “Connecting two things that are definitely part of my life was probably what sparked it.”
Jennifer DiPaola-Turnbull, Julianne’s mother, said the idea was Turnbull’s own.
Rather than participating in an existing fundraiser, Turnbull decided to build one herself, bringing together her Calhoun kickline teammates, dance teachers, friends and family.
“She kind of launched it from nothing,” DiPaola-Turnbull said.
Turnbull reached out to choreographers from her dance studio, East Coast Dance Force in Bellmore, to volunteer their time.
The clinic featured stations where participants could learn different dance styles and techniques from college dance team alumni from Hofstra, Adelphi and Long Island University.
The response to Turnbull’s effort quickly grew beyond her immediate circle.
Calhoun kickline coach Kat Peck said Turnbull’s decision to take on the project reflects the same qualities she sees in her as a dancer.
“She is just someone who pushes herself and with grace, and is respectful and caring,” Peck said. “She is a quiet leader.”
Peck said she was impressed that Turnbull wanted to take the fundraiser beyond the kickline team and use dance to connect her school community with her dance studio community.
The cause also struck a personal chord with the Calhoun team. The team’s close-knit nature made supporting Turnbull’s effort especially meaningful.
“We do consider each other family because we are with each other six days a week for eight months,” Peck said.
For Turnbull, she wanted dancers who attended to understand more about Alzheimer’s and the effect the disease can have on families.
“I just hope that they gain more information about it, and they learn more about it to spread more awareness,” she said.
Turnbull's support to the Alzheimer’s cause inspired Calhoun’s kickline team to participate in the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Oct. 18 at Belmont Lake State Park.
Turnbull hopes “Dancin’ for Diane” will become an annual tradition. With her younger sister currently in sixth grade, she hopes the fundraiser can eventually continue through her sister’s high school years as well.
For DiPaola-Turnbull, that possibility is part of what makes her daughter’s effort so special. Turnbull took something painful and personal and created an opportunity for her peers to come together, dance and give back.
“She did it to continue to make her (Diane) proud,” DiPaola-Turnbull said of Turnbull’s fundraising tenacity.
Turnbull said the experience has taught her that students do not have to wait until they are older to make an impact.
Her advice to other young people looking to create change is to find a strong support system, stay optimistic and build something around a cause they genuinely care about. For Turnbull, her cause is to help end Alzheimer’s and continue to support that cause for generations to come.
