On a Saturday afternoon in December 2005, a group of volunteers, while working on one of many strange and wonderful projects at Glen Echo Park decided that a web site was needed to express why they had been coming out on Saturdays since 1995 to work for free. After much discussion a name finally emerged - SpanishBallroomSpirit.org.

Spanish Ballroom was selected because many of the volunteers had come to the volunteer project by way of the Contra and other dance groups at Glen Echo Park. To many, the Spanish Ball room is synonymous with Glen Echo Park. A Google search of Spanish Ballroom finds many hits at the top of the list pointing Glen Echo Park.

Spirit was selected for the sense of virtual community that has developed around this special place and the community spirit that brings out the volunteers year after year.

In addition to the name, there was much discussion and many opinions as to what the site will contain -

Should it be about the group?

Should it be about recruitment to encourage more people to volunteer?

Should is be a Contra dance philosophy?

Should it be about myths and rumors around the ballroom?

Should it explain why we shouldn't dance a line in the center of the floor?

Should it explain how volunteers restored the Bumper Car Pavilion?

Should it explain what's been going on in the creek during the summer of 2005?

Should it explain who is Ralph?

Clearly the answer is All Of The Above. So watch this space for the answers to the above and many more topics in the form of words, pictures, videos, charts and graphs and anything else we can think of.

- The Saturday Volunteers, a.k.a The Bumper Corps