Coach Gage and Coach Billy Bring the Dance Party to Fargo VTC
Kibu Team
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On a Thursday evening, Gage and Coach Billy boarded a plane to Fargo, North Dakota with everything you need for a proper celebration: a custom song written for the occasion, a dance to go with it, and enough excitement for the two of them to share with a whole room.
Within less than 12 hours, they'd be leading a room full of people through the wobble.
How a bingo card turned into a party
Fargo VTC is one of the many organizations that use Kibu's content and livestreams as part of their programming. When their members joined one of Kibu's livestream bingo events, they didn't just play. They won…twice!
The first prize was a pizza party, funded by Kibu with a gift card sent in the mail so the Fargo VTC crew could celebrate together on their own time.
The second prize was bigger: an in-person dance party, hosted by Coach Gage and Coach Billy themselves.
That second one meant getting on a plane - its a far drive from Stamford to Fargo. Trust us, we thought about it (briefly).
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The main event
If you’ve met Coach Billy, you know he doesn't do generic. Ahead of the trip, he put together a custom song and slide dance built ++just++ for Fargo VTC, including a callout for the winning member who helped bring the prize home. This wasn't a company visit with a speaker and a slideshow. From the moment things kicked off, this was Fargo VTC’s party. We were just happy to be a part of it.
And the folks came READY. The group had made a giant signed thank-you poster, which was waiting near the front of the building for Gage and Billy when they arrived.
Then came the dancing. The Fargo VTC slide. Photos with coaches and participants. Conversations with staff. Time spent with attendees, one-on-one and in groups.
When the main party wrapped, Gage and Billy didn't head for the door. They stayed an extra 30 minutes so that folks who had missed the main event could still have their moment with the Kibu Team. Whether it was a dance, a photo, or just a simple hello - nobody who wanted to be part of it was left out.
Coach Gage remarked that “Visiting Fargo VTC was such an unbelievable experience. Any time we get the chance to go and see not only the participants but the staff in person is just so so special and truly why I got into this line of work. Seeing the joy on their faces and being able to connect with the staff was so amazing. They even made a welcome sign for us and everyone signed it! I cannot wait until our next opportunity!”
Coach Billy summed it up this way:
“Visiting VTC in Fargo, North Dakota, was so special to me. Being there in person, dancing together, seeing everyone smile, and feeling that energy face-to-face really touched my heart.
One of my favorite moments was creating their very own VTC Kibu Slide and seeing how happy it made everyone. Honestly, their happiness made us ten times happier.
I also loved learning a TikTok with each person and watching one participant perform the full Tin Man number from The Wizard of Oz. Moments like that remind me why I love what we do at Kibu.”
The part that stuck with us
The group at Fargo VTC skews older, with many members in their late 50s, 60s, and 70s. But if that makes you picture a quiet room, think again. The energy was real, the dance floor was full, and the enthusiasm didn't let up.
The staff matched it. They were warm, welcoming, and made sure to get in on the fun too!
But the moment that stuck with our team the most was a bit more quiet. More than once, staff expressed genuine surprise that Kibu had actually come all this way. They'd been through experiences before where a promise was made and the follow-through never arrived.
In this field, people are used to hearing "we'll be there" and learning not to count on it.
So showing up in Fargo wasn't just a fun trip. It was our pleasure. When Kibu says we’re throwing a dance party with Coach Gage and Coach Billy, that means Coach Gage and Coach Billy get on a plane.
Shayli Kratcha from Fargo VTC talked about her perspective and what Kibu means to he and the program:
“Coming from a DSP background, I know how overwhelming day-to-day tasks can be. From personal cares to outings to active supports to so much more, DSPs have busy days! Kibu really takes a huge weight off. Rather than trying to lesson plan on top of everything else, DSPs can focus on the person center support while Kibu does the heavy lifting with resources. Kibu has given our individuals new opportunities and helps build life skills daily. Our organization benefits from it in so many ways as there are so many options for each ability.
We love Kibu!”
Why this matters beyond Fargo
Here's the thing about this story: it started with participation.
Fargo VTC didn't win a dance party because they filled out a form or sat through a webinar. They won because their members show up to livestreams, to community events, to a bingo game on an ordinary day. That participation turned into pizza, a party, and an afternoon their whole community got to share.
That's the goal for all of Kibu's live experiences. The livestream classes, the community events, the bingo games are meant to provide meaning, not just programming on a calendar. They're how connection happens, and every so often, they're how a Thursday-evening flight to Fargo happens too.
We want to keep creating moments like this one. Fargo won't be the last stop.
Keep showing up, and we will too
You never know which ordinary afternoon turns into the one everybody talks about for months. Here are two ways to find out.
Already on Kibu? Get your organization on the livestreams, especially right now. This July, the organization that joins the most live classes wins an in-person dance party with Billy Blanks Jr. Every class counts, every location rolls up to your organization's total, and somebody's going to win it. Might as well be you 😉
[Join the next Kibu Live Class →]
Not on Kibu yet? If you've been looking for ways to step up what you offer the individuals you support (things like daily live classes, a library of 600+ on-demand video lessons, and a community that turns bingo wins into dance parties) we'd love to show you what that looks like!